A CJP-led protest at Jantar Mantar against CEC Gyanesh Kumar resulted in a massive police crackdown and the detention of around 1,000 people, including Opposition leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Pinarayi Vijayan, sparking a political firestorm.

Delhi witnessed heightened security, mass detentions and a political showdown on Saturday as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protest at Jantar Mantar, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, was met with a heavy police deployment. Police detained activists from an aircraft, barricades were erected at the Ghazipur border, and gates at 45 Metro stations remained closed, triggering allegations of a crackdown on democratic rights and a counterattack from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Around 1,000 people were detained in the national capital, among them some of the Opposition's biggest names, including Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan. By evening, allegations of "dictatorship" and "anarchy" were being traded across the political divide. Delhi Police sources have since said that all the detainees from the detention centres have been released except CJP leaders, as due legal process will be followed for them. Police sources also said the heavy security deployment would continue, anticipating fresh protest calls from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the All India Youth Federation (AIYF), the All India Students Federation (AISF) and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI).

Activists Detained on Aircraft

The day's most striking development came before the protest could begin, when Delhi Police personnel detained CJP activists Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das as they were about to disembark from their flight in Delhi. They were informed that their proposed protest did not have permission.

In a video shared by Dipke, he alleged that police personnel had entered the aircraft to detain them. "So, you can see that Delhi Police is entering the plane to arrest us. They are all entering the plane. We just landed. All the Delhi Police officers are standing in the aisle. They are trying to arrest us from inside the plane. The entire Delhi Police is getting on the plane...This is the fear of Narendra Modi...Not even Indira Gandhi did this during the Emergency. All we wanted to do was a peaceful protest, and they are picking us up from the flight like we are criminals," he said.

City-Wide Clampdown and Detentions

Across the national capital, security arrangements remained tight, with heavy stone barricades erected at the Ghazipur border, vehicles entering the city subjected to checks, and multi-agency teams deployed at key entry points to prevent demonstrators from reaching the protest site.

Mumbai also witnessed around 600 detentions in connection with the protests, with all those detained later released, while legal proceedings continued. Amid the standoff, police informed Dipke that his grandmother had died following a prolonged illness in Santuk Pimpri village in Maharashtra's Hingoli district. Officials said they conveyed the news "with due sensitivity", informed him about the funeral timings and offered assistance to help him travel home on humanitarian grounds.

Several Opposition leaders were also detained during the day's developments. AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and CPI(M) leader MA Baby were among those detained, while Left leaders, including Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and MP John Brittas, were held following a protest outside Kerala Bhawan. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and several Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs were also allegedly detained.

Opposition Alleges 'Dictatorship'

Amidst this, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi stayed defiant as he told the Prime Minister to "Arrest all the leaders. Arrest all the young people. Arrest us all," he wrote on X, adding that the Opposition was "not going to back down." Congress will hold its own protest on October 12.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused the government of undermining democratic institutions, stating, "India is not a democracy anymore. It is a dictatorship being run by Mr. Narendra Modi and Mr. Amit Shah."

Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge accused the government of transforming the "Mother of Democracy" into a "Muzzled Democracy".

Vijayan accused the government of a "ruthless crackdown on democracy," alleging even journalists were being picked up. Kejriwal, in a video after his detention, said the country's youth had awakened and would not be intimidated.

BJP Hits Back, Alleges Conspiracy

The ruling party was quick to hit back at the Opposition's allegations, accusing protest organisers and political groups of attempting to create instability for political gains. BJP National President Nitin Nabin alleged that Opposition groups were attempting to destabilise the country and claimed that their actions were being driven by "foreign forces". He said two groups, one led by Rahul Gandhi and another comprising associates of Arvind Kejriwal under the CJP banner, were attempting to create instability.

Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar called the movement an attempt to "destabilise the country," adding, "Everyone knows where CJP is getting its funding and strength from."

Party leader Sambit Patra accused Rahul Gandhi of trying to "drag the President into a street protest" after opposition leaders visited Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday to submit a memorandum.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, at the Dainik Jagran Group's Narendra Mohan Memorial Lecture, said, "I acknowledge that in a democracy, every individual has the right to express dissent. However, one must not forget that spreading anarchy is not anyone's right." He added that Gen Z may be "momentarily misled" but "can never be diverted from the goal of nation-building".

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal also criticised Rahul Gandhi over his remarks following a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu, accusing him of disrespecting constitutional authorities.

Judiciary Enters the Fray

The developments also brought the judiciary into the dispute on multiple fronts.

CJI Intervenes for Detained Advocates

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant told ANI that advocates detained near the Supreme Court were being released following his verbal intervention. "I am out of town," he said. The development followed a request by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) for the CJI's urgent intervention over the reported detention of several advocates, including senior and women lawyers. The association alleged that they had been subjected to excessive police force while peacefully protesting in the Supreme Court area.

Supreme Court to Hear Contempt Plea

And the matter is headed back to court on Sunday. Supreme Court is set to hold a special hearing on Sunday to hear a contempt petition alleging wilful disobedience of its October 9 order against a complete shutdown of public transport ahead of today’s CJP protests at Jantar Mantar. A bench comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana is scheduled to hear the matter on October 11 at 10.30 am. The contempt petition has sought proceedings against the Union Home Secretary, Delhi Police Commissioner and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Chairperson, alleging that gates at 45 Metro stations remained closed despite the court's order.

Saket Court Dismisses FIR Plea

Separately, the Saket Court dismissed an application filed on behalf of Ratna Singh, legal affairs head of the Campaign for Judicial Parity (CJP), seeking the registration of an FIR against police personnel. The application alleged that Singh had been wrongfully confined and prevented from attending the October 10 protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

Confrontation Likely to Continue

With the Opposition announcing further demonstrations over the SIR issue and the government defending its security measures, the confrontation is likely to continue in the coming days, with the proposed Congress march on October 12 and the Supreme Court hearing expected to keep the dispute in focus. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)