Delhi mobilizes 30,000 security personnel as CJP calls for second protest
The Citizens' Justice Party (CJP) has scheduled a new rally at Jantar Mantar on Sunday, prompting Delhi authorities to deploy tens of thousands of police and paramilitary forces.
Following a police crackdown that saw protesters and activists arrested at multiple locations, the Citizens' Justice Party (CJP) announced a fresh demonstration at Jantar Mantar for Sunday morning. Authorities have mounted a massive security operation, deploying roughly 30,000 police and paramilitary personnel, conducting border inspections, and monitoring transport hubs and online platforms for mobilization attempts. Over 120 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces are supporting the effort, and the New Delhi district has been divided into 20 zones for coordinated oversight.
The Delhi Traffic Police cautioned that traffic disruptions could begin early Saturday depending on conditions. CJP national in-charge Ajinkya Shinde reiterated the group's demand for CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation, alleging that 13 crore votes were deleted or altered during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The party also raised concerns about the whereabouts of its founder Abhijeet Dipke and co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who were detained after arriving from Mumbai.
Why it matters
The protest highlights escalating tensions over India's electoral roll revisions and could disrupt daily life in Delhi.
How this story developed
- Oct 2 Youth party and student groups rally to demand resignation of India's election chief
- Oct 6 When police barred the INDIA bloc march to the Election Commission, Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka redirected the demonstration to the Akashvani Bhavan building.
- Oct 7 Cockroach Janta Party filed a formal notice with Delhi police about an Oct 10 Jantar Mantar protest demanding the CEC’s resignation.
- Oct 7 Police detained Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi and other lawmakers during the protest and released them later that evening.
- Oct 8 India’s Election Commission is under intense pressure after a newspaper report claimed key decisions in a nationwide voter-roll cleanup were made without full commissioner approval, sparking large demonstrations demanding chief Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
- Oct 9 Delhi police say restrictions on the Cockroach Janta Party’s planned rally at Jantar Mantar are needed to avoid overcrowding and protect the public.
- Oct 9 Police have deployed over 20,000 officers and closed metro gates ahead of the planned protests.
- Oct 10 The Union Home Ministry approved the addition of about 11,000 Central Armed Police Forces personnel.
- Oct 10 Police detained many individuals in the hours before the scheduled rally.
- Oct 10 Mumbai police detained Tushar Gandhi, a Gandhi descendant, as part of the wider crackdown.
- Oct 10 The Supreme Court ordered that some train services remain operational despite earlier shutdown orders.
- Oct 10 Police deployed thousands of personnel, closed 45 metro stations and detained additional opposition figures and activists.
- Oct 10 Authorities detained over 1,000 activists and arrested more than 600 people with criminal histories.
- Oct 11 Delhi imposed wide‑scale traffic diversions around key intersections as the protest entered its second day.
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