Guwahati: The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) vowed to continue its youth-led protest despite Delhi Police detaining founder Abhijeet Dipke and other party leaders, including Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, upon their arrival in the capital.
Police had earlier refused permission for the demonstration. Meanwhile, several protesters were detained and taken away in buses from areas around the Jantar Mantar protest site in central Delhi.
The CJP and other Left organisations called the protest for Saturday, October 10, demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and the withdrawal of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
In a statement, the party said mass detentions to suppress democratic dissent placed the responsibility of protecting democracy on citizens.
YouTuber Dhruv Rathee was also detained on Saturday morning in a joint operation by Delhi and Gurugram police, according to intelligence agency sources. He was reportedly picked up from a residential flat in Gurugram and taken to an undisclosed location.
A Delhi Police official said the force was preparing for around 7,000 protesters to arrive in the capital. Senior officers had directed personnel to remain restrained and handle the situation professionally.
Security measures ahead of the demonstration included internet restrictions in parts of Delhi, the closure of markets and Metro stations, and the cancellation of dozens of trains scheduled to reach the capital.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) also asked states and Union Territories to coordinate with Delhi Police and take preventive measures to stop protesters from travelling to Delhi.