Massive Delhi Crackdown Leads to 5,000 Detentions During Anti-CEC Protest

Delhi police detained approximately 5,000 individuals across the national capital on Saturday as security forces enforced a severe lockdown to prevent a planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar. The mobilization, organized by the Cockroach Janta Party alongside student groups and left-wing organizations, targeted Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, demanding his resignation and the reversal of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

The sweeping police action paralyzed parts of central Delhi, shutting down dozens of metro stations and sealing off major intersections. The confrontation highlights escalating friction between opposition political formations and election authorities over voter roll management, transforming the capital into an arena of high-stakes political friction.

Among those taken into custody during the widespread sweep were four former chief ministers: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal, Pinarayi Vijayan, and Manik Sarkar. Law enforcement personnel intercepted leaders at multiple locations as they attempted to converge on the designated protest area. Arvind Kejriwal was removed by police outside his residence at Lodhi Estate, while Mamata Banerjee was detained alongside senior party lawmakers near South Avenue.

Security arrangements involved the deployment of tens of thousands of personnel from the Delhi Police and Central Armed Police Forces, backed by stringent traffic diversions and temporary metro closures. Organizers asserted that top leadership figures, including party founders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, and Ashutosh Ranka, were intercepted and taken into custody upon arriving at the airport ahead of the demonstrations.

Detained politicians strongly criticized the government's handling of public dissent. Following her detention at the Dwarka North police station, Mamata Banerjee described the measures as a severe suppression of democratic expression and announced plans to join a broader opposition coalition march scheduled for Monday. Arvind Kejriwal similarly condemned the police measures, asserting that opposition parties would not relent in their criticism of the administration.

Despite the detentions and heavy barricading that prevented the main assembly at Jantar Mantar, smaller groups of demonstrators managed to gather at alternative street intersections throughout the city, staging brief rallies before being dispersed by security forces. Organizers have responded by calling for a fresh round of demonstrations on Sunday, pointing toward a prolonged standoff between opposition groups and the administration over electoral oversight procedures.