Delhi sealed off as youth protest Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar

A protest called by the Cockroach Janta Party and left-wing groups targeted Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over a special intensive revision of electoral rolls. Young activists, many in their twenties and thirties, assembled across Delhi, prompting authorities to impose a citywide lockdown that shut metro services, cancelled trains and mobilised more than 25,000 police and security forces, some drawn from other states.

Delhi Police reportedly chased, dragged and bundled protesters into police vehicles, and detained campaign leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, effectively crippling the demonstration before it could fully unfold. Mobile internet access was also limited, adding to the obstacles faced by participants. Foreign media described the capital as a "fortress" and noted the extraordinary scale of the crackdown, interpreting it as a sign of the government's concern over potential political challenges.