DELHI’S PROTEST CRISIS DEEPENS AS CJP DEFIES JANTAR MANTAR BAN, OPPOSITION MOBILISES OVER ELECTORAL ROLL ROW
October 13, 2026
The political confrontation over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls intensified on Tuesday as Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders attempted to reclaim Delhi’s Jantar Mantar protest site, Opposition leaders prepared further consultations and the police continued enforcing restrictions on demonstrations in the national capital.
CJP leaders Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Ajinkya Shinde, accompanied by party volunteers, entered the barricaded protest site after climbing over a gate. Delhi Police detained them shortly afterwards. The action followed the authorities’ decision to withdraw Jantar Mantar’s status as a designated protest venue, a move that has become a central point of contention in the ongoing agitation.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke questioned the detention of party members, arguing that peacefully displaying the national flag should not constitute a violation of the law. The party has maintained that its campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar will continue until its demands are addressed.
RAHUL GANDHI SEEKS BROADER OPPOSITION COORDINATION
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi invited INDIA bloc MPs, civil society representatives and student organisations to a meeting at his residence on Tuesday. The discussions are expected to focus on the bloc’s next steps following Monday’s march towards the Supreme Court.
Eleven Opposition leaders have filed a petition challenging aspects of the Election Commission’s handling of the SIR exercise. The petitioners have raised concerns about alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and sought judicial intervention, including a halt to the ongoing revision process.
The controversy centres on allegations that eligible voters could be wrongly excluded from electoral rolls. The Election Commission and the BJP have disputed the Opposition’s criticism, while the dispute has developed into a wider political confrontation over electoral integrity and institutional accountability.
SUPREME COURT TO CONSIDER PROTEST-RELATED PETITIONS
The Supreme Court has assured petitioners that matters concerning the Delhi protests will be listed for hearing, subject to the correction of procedural defects in the filings. The court’s involvement follows concerns over restrictions on public movement, access to protest venues and the detention of demonstrators.
Delhi Police has also sought an extension of Central Armed Police Forces deployment in the capital until October 20, citing the continuing law-and-order situation. Security measures and traffic restrictions have remained in place around several sensitive locations, although Metro services were operating on Tuesday.
The developments illustrate the widening dispute between the authorities and groups opposing the electoral-roll revision. With the CJP continuing its agitation and the INDIA bloc pursuing judicial intervention, the coming days are likely to be shaped by court proceedings, security decisions and further political mobilisation.
