More than 35,000 Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel are deployed across the national capital ahead of the protest.
NEW DELHI: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke left the Four Seasons Hotel in Mumbai on Saturday morning for the airport to travel to Delhi, where the party has called for a protest at Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.Dipke is expected to reach Delhi by 10am, a CJP functionary said, according to news agency PTI.In a post on X, Dipke wrote, “Zindagi jeene ke do hi tarike hote hain, ek jo ho raha hai hone do, bardaasht karte jao, ya phir zimmedari uthao use badalne ki.”A few protesters were detained near Janpath in the Connaught Place area on Saturday as the CJP called for a ‘Jantar Mantar 2.0’ demonstration demanding Kumar’s removal.The Delhi Police has denied permission for the protest, citing the possibility of “serious” law-and-order concerns and inconvenience to residents and citizens.
Delhi Police denies permission for CJP protest
In a letter addressed to CJP co-convenor Saurav Das and joint secretary Balkrishna, the deputy commissioner of police, New Delhi district, said granting permission could lead to serious law-and-order issues.“In the larger public interest, the permission sought cannot be granted and is hereby denied,” the letter stated.The police said the communication received from the party was merely an intimation and not a duly submitted application seeking permission. According to the letter, applications to hold programmes at Jantar Mantar must be submitted at least 10 days before the proposed date.The police also cited previous instances of alleged violations of protest conditions, including demonstrations continuing beyond stipulated time limits, which had resulted in law-and-order issues.Despite the denial, CJP has called for a large mobilisation at Jantar Mantar. “10th October. Jantar Mantar 2.0. We’re coming together again to raise our voice against Gyanesh Kumar. Thousands of us are expected…,” the party said in an Instagram post.
35,000 security personnel deployed across Delhi
Delhi has tightened security across the capital to prevent protesters from gathering at Jantar Mantar. Checks have been intensified at the city’s borders, roads barricaded and mobile internet services suspended in parts of central Delhi.More than 35,000 Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed across the national capital amid heightened security arrangements. Officials estimate that around 20,000 people could attempt to reach the protest site.Police sources said additional forces had been sought because the turnout during the CJP’s protest in June-July had been “underestimated”.Mobile internet services within a 4km radius of the Janpath-Kartavya Path crossing were suspended at 10pm on Friday. The restrictions are scheduled to remain in force until 10pm on Saturday.The entry and exit gates of 57 metro stations were initially ordered to be closed, with the number later reduced to 45. The restrictions followed a communication from the Delhi Police’s Transport Range to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, citing the possibility of “unruly crowd movement towards sensitive locations”.The police have instructed their teams to detain anyone attempting to stage a protest, irrespective of their location. Central Armed Police Forces units have also been directed not to issue weapons for deployment related to the demonstration, with letters sent to the concerned directorates regarding the allotment plan.Unlike the deployment during the INDIA bloc protest, police teams have been authorised to carry lathis and batons. In view of alleged deliberate attempts to record and circulate videos portraying police personnel in a negative light, teams have been instructed to avoid verbal confrontations with protesters.Those detained are to be taken to six designated centres: Chhatrasal Stadium, Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Yamuna Sports Complex, Surajmal Stadium, the community centre in Daulatpur and the community centre in Pandrawal.Additional women personnel from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have also been called in. Multiple facial recognition systems, additional CCTV cameras, rooftop spotters and drones are expected to be deployed across central Delhi.Several student outfits and political groups are also expected to join the demonstration.
Dipke says he will not back down if arrested
On Friday, Dipke said he would not withdraw from the protest even if he were detained or arrested. In a video posted on X, he urged people to participate in large numbers while maintaining peace and discipline.He said he planned to leave Mumbai on Saturday morning and was uncertain whether he would be arrested at the airport or later.Dipke said the party’s demands included free and fair elections, Kumar’s resignation, scrapping the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and an independent selection procedure for Election Commissioners.“So my only request to all of you is that in case I am detained or in case I am arrested, I have no fear of that. If this government wants to invoke the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against me, the National Security Act (NSA), or whatever they want to invoke, you can do so. But what I am fighting for, what CJP is fighting for, is free and fair elections.”“We need free and fair elections, and those elections cannot happen without the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar, cannot happen without scrapping SIR, and cannot happen without an independent selection procedure through which Election Commissioners are selected. That process needs to be neutral and independent. Without that, free and fair elections cannot happen,” he said.Calling the demonstration a fight to protect democracy, Dipke appealed to participants to ensure that it remained peaceful and non-violent. He urged them to follow the law and avoid actions that could undermine the protest.“This is a fight to save the country’s democracy. Therefore, all of you, please come to Delhi’s Jantar Mantar tomorrow in large numbers. But again, my request to everyone is—remember, we are law-abiding citizens, we are peaceful citizens. So no mistake should be made from our end. We are not goons,” Dipke said.
Centre asks states and UTs to coordinate with Delhi Police
The proposed mobilisation has also prompted the Union home ministry to direct states and Union Territories to strengthen security arrangements.In an official letter, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan asked police chiefs of all states and Union Territories to coordinate with Delhi Police and take preventive measures in view of the proposed gathering. The communication cited concerns over a possible attempt by CJP and its supporters to enter the national capital despite the denial of permission.“I write to draw your immediate attention to the grave law & order and public order implications arising from a proposed mass mobilisation by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, scheduled for 10.10.2026. Vide an official order issued by the Delhi Police, dated 09.10.2026 (copy enclosed), the request submitted on behalf of the CJP has been categorically rejected, and the proposed assembly stands prohibited,” the letter read.The security preparations come amid wider Opposition protests against the SIR exercise and allegations of electoral irregularities.