(Updates) Delhi CJP Protests: What Is Happening?
The Cockroach Janta Party protest, in New Delhi, against India’s election chief was met with strict security measures on October 10. By October 11, Dhruv Rathee and three CJP leaders were released, while questions over voter-list changes and the right to protest still continued. The Supreme Court has now intervened over transport, internet access and the treatment of peaceful protesters.
Reading
October 11
- CJP leaders renewed their demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. Ashutosh Ranka said the campaign would continue; founder Abhijeet Dipke left for home after his grandmother’s death.
- The Supreme Court directed authorities to maintain Metro, rail and internet services, review barricades, and follow legal procedures for detentions.
- Around 60–70 protesters, including CPI(M) MP John Brittas, were detained near Palika Bazaar and Connaught Place. Police tightened security near Jantar Mantar.
- The United Nations Human Rights Office has expressed concern over reports of mass detentions while India calls it ‘unwarranted interference’.
- CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were released with a one-year condition not to “breach peace,” according to the party’s legal affairs head.
- Dhruv Rathee was released and said on social media that he had been “kidnapped,” not arrested or detained. This was his account, not a legal finding.
October 10
- Police blocked protesters from reaching Jantar Mantar, citing security concerns and inadequate notice. Restrictions on roads, Metro access and internet disrupted movement and communication.
- More than 7,000 people were reportedly detained across Delhi, including several opposition leaders. Related demonstrations in Mumbai also saw hundreds detained.
- CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and senior leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained after arriving at Delhi airport. Moreover, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee was detained at his Gurugram home.
- Opposition figures, including Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal, were also detained as police prevented demonstrators from reaching Jantar Mantar.
- Actor Imran Khan was detained separately in Mumbai during related protests. Dhruv Rathee was released late on October 10, and an executive magistrate ordered the release of Dipke, Das and Ranka on October 11.
October 10-11
- Delhi Police registered multiple FIRs linked to the protests - four Hindu Raksha Dal members were arrested over an alleged assault. Rahul Gandhi announced another opposition mobilisation for October 12.
October 8
- INDIA bloc leaders marched towards the Election Commission, held a sit-in after police stopped them, and were detained before being released later that night.
October 7
- On October 7, 2026, the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) formally submitted an application to the Delhi Police requesting permission to hold a major mass protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on October 10.
October 6
- Rahul Gandhi, alongside other INDIA bloc MPs, youth groups, and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), marched toward the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters.
- During the standoff at the police barricades, Rahul Gandhi climbed onto a police barricade and waved the Indian national flag (Tricolour) before he and other lawmakers were detained
- Rahul Gandhi along with Priyanka Gandhi and other opposition leaders were briefly detained (arrested) by Delhi police.
Context
The protest is part of the campaign against India’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Protesters say the exercise risks removing eligible citizens of their voting rights while the Election Commission maintains that the revision is intended to remove inaccurate entries. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were detained on October 6th during the protest. On October 10, police blocked the CJP’s planned gathering at Jantar Mantar and detained activists, public figures and opposition politicians. The Delhi Police detained the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, Abhijeet Dipke and You Tuber Dhruv Rathee on Saturday, before joining the protests. While CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were also detained from their flight upon landing, according to a report by Reuters. On October 11, the India court released Abhijeet Dipke, Dhruv Rathee, 2 others on one-year peace condition.
Why It Matters
The dispute concerns the basic right to vote. If eligible names disappear from electoral rolls, citizens lose their voice before an election even begins. Moreover, the right to protest is a separate concern. Detentions before people reach a gathering, while restricting transport and mobile internet also raise concerns about the right to protest. Rathee was taken from his Gurugram home, while three CJP leaders were detained from their aircraft after landing in Delhi before they reached the gathering. After his release, Rathee said he was “not arrested or detained” but “kidnapped”.
What We Think
Detaining protesters before they can make their case is a concerning answer to questions about voter rights. A democracy gains credibility through scrutiny and open challenge, not by turning its capital into a barrier against dissent.