NEW DELHI: Protesters wearing cockroach-antennae helmets, raising slogans and seeking refuge inside a gurdwara to evade detention marked the proposed Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) demonstration against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi on Saturday.Delhi Police detained around 500 protesters attempting to reach Jantar Mantar, where the demonstration was scheduled to begin at 10:30 am, after denying permission for the gathering and enforcing prohibitory orders across the area.The demonstration was scheduled to begin at 10.30 am at Jantar Mantar, but police prevented protesters from reaching the site, citing prohibitory orders in the New Delhi area. Police had earlier denied permission for the gathering.According to police sources, protesters were detained from several locations, including near Regal Cinema in Connaught Place, Minto Bridge and Akashwani Bhawan. Drones were deployed to monitor movement, while personnel guarded key intersections and roads leading to Jantar Mantar.As police chased demonstrators attempting to regroup, some reached the area near Shivaji Stadium Metro Station and raised slogans against the police. A group of around 10 to 20 protesters marched along the road, shouting, “Your children will be suffering too”.When one protester moved into the middle of the road and raised slogans, police personnel ran towards him to apprehend him. Buses carrying detainees were later seen leaving the area, with some protesters shouting “Inquilab Zindabad” and others displaying their press cards from inside the vehicles. A few protesters also entered a gurdwara amid the police action.Amid the restrictions, Anand, a Delhi resident employed in the private information technology sector, wore a helmet modified to resemble cockroach antennae. Explaining his gesture, he told PTI, “This is my own way of paying a tribute to the CJP and opposition alliance leader because what the current dispensation is doing is not in line with what the government should ideally be doing.”He said the heavy security presence was curtailing freedom of expression and people’s fundamental rights.Separately, police sources said more than 600 people with criminal records had been detained across all 15 districts as a preventive measure ahead of the proposed demonstration.Special Commissioner of Police (Law & Order) Devesh Srivastava told PTI, “We have made elaborate security arrangements today and areas neighbouring bordering states have been picketed in coordination with neighbouring police force.
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Senior officers have been deployed. Along with that we are getting cooperation from citizens and our community policing teams like Aman Committee are working.”He added, “The situation is under control. People who are going to Jantar Mantar are being detained as we had already said that no permission for such protest is granted.”The CJP called the demonstration over allegations of voter-list manipulation during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and changes relating to Form 6, used for voter registration.