Delhi Police Clampdown Detains 6,000 People Including Leaders

An estimated 6,000 people, including four former Chief Ministers, were detained at locations across Delhi on Saturday during an unprecedented police clampdown against protests targeting the government and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Saturday’s large-scale police operation sequestered Jantar Mantar. Marching groups, journalists covering the demonstrations, and bystanders were picked up from roadways, bundled into police vehicles, and transported to detention centers. By afternoon, protesters broke into spontaneous flash demonstrations in groups of 100 to 150 at multiple locations, including Dilli Haat, Rajghat, Connaught Place, and the Safdarjung Airport flyover, leading to further detentions.

Police Detain Cockroach Janta Party Leaders

The youth platform Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which called Saturday’s protest to demand the resignation of CEC Kumar, saw its top three leaders—Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, and Ashutosh Ranka—intercepted by police who boarded the aircraft they arrived on from Mumbai at approximately 10:20 am. The three men were taken to separate undisclosed locations. In a subsequent video release, Dipke announced that Ajinkya Shinde, the CJP’s national organization in-charge, would take over leadership of the movement. Later in the day, after learning that he had lost his paternal grandmother, Delhi Police offered Dipke the choice to remain detained in Delhi or travel to Maharashtra to join his family.

Opposition Leaders and Activists Swept Up in Clampdown

Among those detained across the capital were prominent student leaders, activists, and former chief ministers. Neha, a leader with the All India Students’ Association (AISA) and a prominent face of the protests, was detained near Dilli Haat alongside activists Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan. Neha announced on social media at around 7 pm that police had released her from detention. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk had previously warned that he would initiate a hunger strike or padayatra if Neha and other detained individuals were not released by Sunday. Additionally, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee was picked up from his home in Gurugram’s Sector 56 early in the morning and taken to a Crime Branch office.