Delhi shuts Central Park ahead of CJP rally demanding election chief’s ouster
Delhi authorities closed Central Park on Friday as the Cockroach Janta Party prepared a protest to press for the removal of the election chief over a contested voter-roll cleanup.
Delhi’s municipal authorities ordered Central Park closed for two days on Friday, just before the Cockroach Janta Party planned a rally demanding the removal of the chief election commissioner. The protest follows the detention of two party activists who attempted to raise the national flag at Jantar Mantar, after police revoked the site’s protest status. Thousands of security personnel were deployed across the capital, with metal barricades installed at key intersections and a ban on public assemblies near Connaught Place.
Party founder Abhijeet Dipke said the movement would continue despite the risk of arrest, questioning why the government fears “cockroaches.” Critics allege the voter-roll revision overseen by Gyanesh Kumar has stripped over 130 million names, disproportionately affecting minorities, while the Election Commission denies misconduct. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh dismissed the opposition’s claims as an attempt to destabilise democratic institutions.
Why it matters
The shutdown highlights escalating tensions over India’s voter-roll overhaul and the government’s response to dissent.
How this story developed
- Oct 12 Rahul Gandhi leads opposition march to Supreme Court demanding election chief's resignation
- Oct 12 Authorities shut six metro stations and deployed thousands of security personnel for a third consecutive day.
- Oct 13 The Supreme Court flagged fourteen procedural defects in the opposition’s petition.
- Oct 14 Two leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party were placed in five-day judicial custody after entering Jantar Mantar, while a boat on the Ganges in Bihar capsized, killing at least 13, mostly children.
- Oct 15 Opposition leaders announced a coordinated rally to demand the release of the detained activists.
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