Delhi Protest: Opposition Cries “Dictatorship,” BJP Says “Anarchy Is Not Anyone’s Right”

Delhi saw tight security, mass detentions and a political showdown on Saturday as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)’s protest at Jantar Mantar, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, was met with a heavy police deployment.

Around 1,000 people were detained in the capital, among them Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Delhi Police sources said all those held at detention centres were later released except CJP leaders, against whom “due legal process” will be followed. Mumbai saw around 600 detentions, and all of those held there were released.

DETAINED ON A FLIGHT

The most striking moment came before the protest began. Police boarded the aircraft carrying CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das shortly after it landed in Delhi, and detained them. They were told the protest had no permission.

During the standoff, police told Dipke that his grandmother had died after a long illness in Santuk Pimpri village in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district. Officials said they conveyed the news “with due sensitivity,” told him the funeral timings and offered help to travel home on humanitarian grounds.

A CITY UNDER LOCKDOWN

Heavy stone barricades went up at the Ghazipur border, vehicles entering the city were checked, and multi-agency teams were posted at entry points to stop demonstrators reaching the protest site. Gates at 45 Metro stations stayed closed.

Police sources said the deployment would continue in anticipation of fresh calls from the CJP, the All India Youth Federation, the All India Students Federation and the Students’ Federation of India.

OPPOSITION LEADERS HELD

Beyond Kejriwal and Vijayan, CPI(M)’s MA Baby was also detained. Vijayan and MP John Brittas were held after a protest outside Kerala Bhawan. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and several Trinamool Congress MPs were also reported to have been detained.

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi said on X: “Arrest all the leaders. Arrest all the young people. Arrest us all.” He added that the Opposition was “not going to back down.” The Congress will hold its own protest on October 12.

BJP HITS BACK

BJP national president Nitin Nabin alleged that Opposition groups were trying to destabilise the country, claiming “foreign forces” were behind their actions. He named two groups, one led by Rahul Gandhi and another made up of associates of Kejriwal under the CJP banner.

Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar called the movement an attempt to “destabilise the country,” saying “everyone knows where CJP is getting its funding and strength from.” He did not give evidence.

Sambit Patra accused Rahul Gandhi of trying to “drag the President into a street protest” after Opposition leaders submitted a memorandum at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal criticised Gandhi’s remarks after his meeting with President Droupadi Murmu as disrespect for constitutional authorities.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, “In a democracy, every individual has the right to express dissent. However, one must not forget that spreading anarchy is not anyone’s right.” Gen Z, he said, may be “momentarily misled” but “can never be diverted from the goal of nation-building.”

COURTS DRAWN IN

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said that advocates detained near the Supreme Court were being released after his verbal intervention. “I am out of town,” he told ANI.

The Supreme Court Bar Association had sought his urgent intervention over the detention of several lawyers, including senior and women advocates, alleging excessive force against a peaceful protest in the court’s area.

On Sunday, a bench of Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana will hold a special hearing on a contempt petition alleging wilful disobedience of the court’s October 9 order against a complete shutdown of public transport.

The petition seeks proceedings against the Union Home Secretary, the Delhi Police Commissioner and the chairperson of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), saying Metro gates at 45 stations stayed shut despite the order.

Separately, the Saket Court dismissed an application on behalf of Ratna Singh seeking an FIR against police personnel. The application alleged she was wrongfully confined and prevented from attending the protest.

WHAT NEXT

The Opposition has announced more demonstrations over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, and the government is defending its security measures. The Congress march on October 12 and the Supreme Court hearing are likely to keep the confrontation going.

With inputs from ANI