.png)
Police detained more than 5,000 protesters across New Delhi by 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 10, as authorities enforced restrictions ahead of demonstrations demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the rollback of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The protests, organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) alongside student and Left organisations, also spread to Mumbai, Visakhapatnam and other cities.
The crackdown triggered allegations of excessive police action, restrictions on peaceful assembly and the detention of political leaders, students and activists. Delhi Metro services were also affected, with 45 stations remaining closed until 10 p.m., according to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.
Detentions and restrictions dominate Delhi protests
The proposed demonstration at Jantar Mantar became the centre of a major security operation. Delhi Police had denied permission for the planned protest, while authorities detained organisers and participants at multiple locations.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and party members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained after arriving in Delhi aboard Air India flight AI 2428, according to the supplied reporting. The detentions raised questions about the coordination between police, airport security and airline authorities.
Despite the action against its leadership, CJP said the demonstration would continue. Its stated position was that the youth-led protest would proceed even without its organisers.
Police also detained former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas and several other political figures. Around 50 to 60 lawyers were reportedly detained while marching from the Supreme Court towards Jantar Mantar. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta later told The Hindu that the Chief Justice of India intervened with authorities to facilitate the lawyers' release.
Two Delhi Police personnel, including a member of the Pink Force, were reported injured during the detention of protesters. A senior police officer said the circumstances surrounding their injuries were being investigated.
Student groups allege mistreatment of activists
The All India Students' Association (AISA) alleged that Delhi Police had taken the phones of its president, Neha Bora, and another activist, Nirma, at the Maidan Garhi detention centre. The organisation also alleged that the two activists were kept in an isolated room after being detained.
These allegations had not been independently established in the supplied material. The circumstances of their detention and the status of their belongings remain matters requiring clarification from the authorities.
Student organisations also accused police personnel of using excessive force. The Students' Federation of India (SFI) alleged that officers involved in action against protesters were not wearing name tags. AISA activist and Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union joint secretary Danish Ali also alleged police brutality and urged protesters to continue their demonstration.
Police clash with protesters near August Kranti Maidan in Mumbai. People turned up in large numbers to protest in solidarity with the demonstration in Delhi, demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the rollback of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Protesters are being detained. ๐ธ @EmmanualYogini
— The Hindu (@the_hindu) October 10, 2026
AISA activist and JNUSU Joint Secretary Comrade @danish_aisa talks about police brutality and appeals to protestors to march onwards till CEC Gyanesh Kumar resigns! #jantarmantar #cpiml #savedemocracy #gyaneshkumar #cec https://t.co/QTQqY9cUGT
— CPIML Liberation (@cpimlliberation) October 10, 2026
No name tag!!! RSS's dressed as Delhi police - those who are attacking the peaceful protestors, assualting women students are not even wearing name tags. Com @aishe_ghosh SFI All India Joint Secretary exposing the true face of Modi-Shah's face ! https://t.co/2MiJ7b1A2X
— SFI (@SFI_CEC) October 10, 2026
Jantar Mantar 2.0 is on... ๐ฎ๐ณ✊ We will be on the streets soon again...come on India ๐ฎ๐ณ✊ For how many days will they detain us ? https://t.co/492KBEy20S
— Aishe (เฆเฆถী) (@aishe_ghosh) October 10, 2026
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi appealed to young protesters to continue raising their voices, while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra criticised the detentions and questioned the government's response to demands for electoral accountability.
I’ve been fighting Narendra Modi and the RSS for over a decade now. I understand them like you would understand your opponent - inside out, like the back of my hand. The core characteristic of these people is cowardice. Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Mohan Bhagwat, Gyanesh Kumar and Ajit Doval, the villains of this story, are slowly finding the space closing around them. We are closing that space. Mr. Modi, do whatever you want. Call out all the police: 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, whatever you want. Arrest all the leaders. Arrest all the young people. Arrest us all. We are surrounding you, and we are not going to back down. Mark my words: we already have the information we need. We are going to defend our Constitution. We are going to protect the voice of the Indian people. And we are going to ensure that what was done to India over the last 10-15 years will never, ever be done again. Youth of India, I am proud of you. Keep protesting. We are standing with you. We are going to ensure that this regime and the people who have attacked our Constitution are defeated. เคฎैं เคจเคฐेंเคฆ्เคฐ เคฎोเคฆी, RSS เคเคฐ เคเคจเคธे เคुเคก़े เคฒोเคों เคे เค़िเคฒाเคซ़ เคเค เคฆเคถเค เคธे เคญी เค़्เคฏाเคฆा เคธเคฎเคฏ เคธे เคฒเคก़ เคฐเคนा เคนूँ। เคฎैं เค เคชเคจे เคตिเคฐोเคงिเคฏों เคो เคเคคเคจी เค เค्เคी เคคเคฐเคน เคธเคฎเคเคคा เคนूँ, เคिเคคเคจा เคोเค เคญी เค เคชเคจे เคช्เคฐเคคिเคฆ्เคตंเคฆ्เคตी เคो เคธเคฎเคเคคा เคนै। เคฎैं เคเคจ्เคนें เค ंเคฆเคฐ เคคเค เคाเคจเคคा เคนूँ, เคเคจเคी เคนเคฐ เคाเคฒ เคธे เคตाเค़िเคซ़ เคนूँ। เคเคจ เคฒोเคों เคी เคธเคฌเคธे เคฌเคก़ी เคชเคนเคाเคจ เคนै - เคाเคฏเคฐเคคा। เคจเคฐेंเคฆ्เคฐ เคฎोเคฆी, เค เคฎिเคค เคถाเคน, เคฎोเคนเคจ เคญाเคเคตเคค, เค्เคाเคจेเคถ เคुเคฎाเคฐ, เค เคीเคค เคกोเคญाเคฒ - เคเคธ เคเคนाเคจी เคे เคเคฒเคจाเคฏเค - เค เคฌ เคงीเคฐे-เคงीเคฐे เคिเคฐเคคे เคा เคฐเคนे เคนैं। เคเคจเคे เคाเคฐों เคคเคฐเคซ़ เคธे เคฆाเคฏเคฐा เคธिเคฎเค เคฐเคนा เคนै। เคो เคเคฐเคจा เคนै, เคเคฐ เคฒीเคिเค। เคिเคคเคจी เคชुเคฒिเคธ เคฌुเคฒाเคจी เคนै, เคฌुเคฒा เคฒीเคिเค - 10 เคนเค़ाเคฐ, 20 เคนเค़ाเคฐ, 50 เคนเค़ाเคฐ, เคिเคคเคจी เคाเคนें เคฌुเคฒा เคฒीเคिเค। เคธाเคฐे เคจेเคคाเคं เคो เคिเคฐเคซ़्เคคाเคฐ เคเคฐ เคฒीเคिเค। เคธाเคฐे เคฏुเคตाเคं เคो เคिเคฐเคซ़्เคคाเคฐ เคเคฐ เคฒीเคिเค। เคนเคฎ เคธเคฌเคो เคिเคฐเคซ़्เคคाเคฐ เคเคฐ เคฒीเคिเค। เคเคฌเคฐाเคเคฏे เคฎเคค - เคนเคฎ เคเคชเคो เคाเคฐों เคคเคฐเคซ़ เคธे เคेเคฐ เคฐเคนे เคนैं, เคเคฐ เคนเคฎ เคชीเคे เคนเคเคจे เคตाเคฒे เคจเคนीं เคนैं। เคฎेเคฐी เคฌाเคค เคฏाเคฆ เคฐเคिเค - เคนเคฎें เคो เคाเคจเคाเคฐी เคाเคนिเค, เคตเคน เคนเคฎाเคฐे เคชाเคธ เคชเคนเคฒे เคธे เคนै। เคนเคฎ เค เคชเคจे เคธंเคตिเคงाเคจ เคी เคฐเค्เคทा เคเคฐेंเคे। เคนเคฎ เคนिंเคฆुเคธ्เคคाเคจ เคी เคเคจเคคा เคी เคเคตाเค़ เคी เคนिเคซ़ाเค़เคค เคเคฐेंเคे। เคเคฐ เคนเคฎ เคฏเคน เคธुเคจिเคถ्เคिเคค เคเคฐेंเคे เคि เคชिเคเคฒे 10-15 เคธाเคฒों เคฎें เคนिंเคฆुเคธ्เคคाเคจ เคे เคธाเคฅ เคो เคนुเค เคนै, เคตเคน เคฆोเคฌाเคฐा เคเคญी, เคिเคธी เคญी เคธूเคฐเคค เคฎें เคจ เคนो। เคนिंเคฆुเคธ्เคคाเคจ เคे เคฏुเคตाเคं, เคฎुเคे เคเคช เคชเคฐ เคเคฐ्เคต เคนै। เค เคชเคจा เคตिเคฐोเคง เคाเคฐी เคฐเคिเค। เคนเคฎ เคเคชเคे เคธाเคฅ เคเคก़े เคนैं। เคนเคฎ เคฏเคน เคธुเคจिเคถ्เคिเคค เคเคฐेंเคे เคि เคเคธ เคธเคฐเคाเคฐ เคเคฐ เคนเคฎाเคฐे เคธंเคตिเคงाเคจ เคชเคฐ เคนเคฎเคฒा เคเคฐเคจे เคตाเคฒों เคो เคถिเคเคธ्เคค เคฎिเคฒे।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 10, 2026
Separately, hundreds of detained citizens, students and workers were reportedly taken to Chhatrasal Stadium in north Delhi, which was being used as a holding centre.
INDIA IN A STATE OF UNDECLARED EMERGENCY... Yesterday when I posted a message appealing for unity & peace in today's protest I had never imagined that the biggest democracy in the world would be under an undeclared EMERGENCY. I was happy there were so many leaders to lead the movement, but I now learn that they have all been arrested. I hope those arrested will be released soon. I will be compelled to consider an Anshan Fast or Padyatra March if they are not released by tomorrow. #JantarMantar #protest #CJP #CEC #sonamwangchuk
— Sonam Wangchuk (@Wangchuk66) October 10, 2026
Protests spread beyond the national capital
The agitation extended to Mumbai, where demonstrators gathered near August Kranti Maidan. Police detained several participants, including Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Varun Sardesai and actor Imran Khan. Activist Tushar Gandhi was also detained, prompting Aaditya Thackeray and other Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders to visit DN Nagar Police Station and demand his release.
First they rough up 254 MPs and detain them completely illegally, infringing on their basic constitutional rights; they do the same to other protestors from Opposition parties. Then they lay siege to the national capital, barricading it and sealing it on all sides, stopping trains and metros, cutting the internet and placing check posts all over. They bash up and detain young men and women exercising their constitutional right to protest. If this isn’t proof that they have cheated the elections with the collusion of the Election Commission, and are terrified that the illegitimacy of their government is being exposed and accountability is being demanded, then what is? India is not a democracy anymore. It is a dictatorship being run by Mr. Narendra Modi and Mr. Amit Shah. All those who are colluding with them to subvert democracy are committing treason against the nation.
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) October 10, 2026
In Visakhapatnam, INDIA bloc leaders and student organisations protested against the Chief Election Commissioner. Demonstrators alleged that electoral roll revisions had resulted in the deletion of approximately 13 crore votes nationally, including 45 lakh in Andhra Pradesh. These figures represent claims made by the protesters and require independent verification.
Protests were also reported in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, where CPI (ML) members demonstrated against the CEC. In Bengaluru, police said permission covered a protest but not a march towards the Chief Electoral Officer's office, and participants attempting the march were placed under preventive detention.
A woman protestor was forcefully picked up and put in van by the Mumbai police during the protest against the CEC. “You can cancel [the] train, but not the spirit of protestors who are out there to stand for democracy,” she said. Video: @SnehalMutha https://t.co/SvuNhmKrAk https://t.co/zakC8Y8dDs
— The Hindu (@the_hindu) October 10, 2026
Activist and scientist Sonam Wangchuk warned that he might consider an indefinite fast or a march if detained protesters were not released by the following day. His statement added to growing pressure for authorities to clarify the detentions and restrictions.
What happens next?
The immediate questions concern the release of detained protesters, the treatment of activists in custody and the restoration of normal public transport services in Delhi. The demonstrations have also brought renewed attention to disputes over electoral roll revisions and demands for accountability from the Election Commission.
The next developments will depend on police decisions, responses from political leaders and whether protest organisers pursue further demonstrations or legal action.
Key Takeaways
Delhi Police reported more than 5,000 detentions by 2 p.m. on October 10.
Forty-five Delhi Metro stations remained closed until 10 p.m. amid security restrictions.
Student groups alleged that detained activists faced mistreatment and restrictions on communication.
Demonstrations and detentions were reported in Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, Bengaluru and Tamil Nadu.
As the situation develops, readers may consider what safeguards should govern police action during political demonstrations and how allegations of electoral irregularities should be addressed.
7. Disclaimer: This article is based on the supplied news reports and attributed statements; allegations and figures have not been independently verified unless explicitly stated.
Comments & Discussion
Comments