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The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Saturday vowed to continue its protests against alleged irregularities in electoral rolls until Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resigns, announcing a fresh demonstration at Jantar Mantar at 10am on Sunday.
The announcement came after police detained protesters, activists and opposition leaders at multiple locations across New Delhi during a major security crackdown ahead of the planned demonstration. The police had denied permission for the gathering, citing law-and-order concerns and prohibitory orders.
Addressing a press conference, Ajinkya Shinde, the CJP’s national organisation in-charge, said the detentions would not deter the movement.
“The government must have thought we will return home after the detentions today. This fear of Modi, Shah shows we have won half the fight,” Shinde said, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
“As many people as you detain, we will not go back till Gyanesh Kumar resigns. We will head to Jantar Mantar again at 10am tomorrow,” he said, urging supporters to assemble in large numbers and continue protesting wherever police blocked their access to the venue.
The CJP said it would continue civil disobedience and street protests across the country until accountability was established over alleged deletions and manipulation affecting around 130 million voter entries. The Election Commission and the BJP have denied allegations of wrongdoing, maintaining that the revisions were part of the electoral roll verification process.
CJP representatives condemned the detention of party leaders and other protesters, describing the restrictions as an “undeclared Emergency”. Shinde criticised the heavy security deployment, alleging that Delhi had been turned into a “cantonment or fortress”.
He claimed that more than 15,000 people, including students, civil society members and political figures, had faced detention or police action. He also alleged that transport restrictions and the use of signal jammers were intended to suppress peaceful protests.
Nationalist Congress Party spokesperson Anish Gawande said attempts were being made to create divisions between civil society groups and opposition parties campaigning for accountability over the electoral roll revision.
“The protests that have taken place against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar have always featured unity between civil society actors and the opposition,” Gawande said.
He said opposition parties and civil society groups would continue to work together despite attempts to drive a wedge between them.
Srijan Bhattacharya of the Students’ Federation of India said the groups were working towards the “broadest possible unity against dictatorship”.
The organisers also criticised restrictions around Jantar Mantar, the reported closure of metro stations, disruptions to train services and preventive detentions at transport hubs. They said the campaign for electoral transparency would continue in several states.
“Civil disobedience and street protests will continue relentlessly until jails are filled and the government is held accountable. Democracy is not for sale,” a statement said.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Traffic Police warned of possible disruptions in New Delhi and central Delhi on Sunday, October 11, because of the prevailing law-and-order situation.
Traffic diversions could take effect from 6am, depending on conditions on the ground. Areas around Jantar Mantar, Sansad Marg, Connaught Place, Mandi House, Rail Bhawan, Patel Chowk, Dhaula Kuan, Lodhi Road and Sardar Patel Marg could be affected.
Commuters travelling to railway stations, inter-state bus terminals and the airport were advised to allow extra time for their journeys and avoid non-essential travel. The police said restrictions could be adjusted according to the situation and urged commuters to follow official traffic updates.
The renewed protest call followed Saturday’s widespread detentions, as police and paramilitary personnel were deployed across the capital to prevent demonstrators from reaching Jantar Mantar.