About 7,000 detained, four former chief ministers among them, as Delhi shuts down for the CJP march against Election Commission chief Gyanesh Kumar
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) called a march at Jantar Mantar on Saturday to demand the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Police detained about 7,000 people across Delhi, including four former chief ministers (Mint, Economic Times); The Hindu's earlier count was over 5,000. Founder Abhijeet Dipke was detained at Delhi airport (Mint) and stayed in custody (Reuters, Hindustan Times); his grandmother died that day. Jantar Mantar stayed clear and protesters regrouped at Dilli Haat and Connaught Place, where right-wing group members assaulted some of them (The Hindu, Hindustan Times). Lawyers detained near the Supreme Court were released after the Chief Justice intervened (Economic Times, Mint). Mint counted 45 metro stations shut until 10 pm, all reopened later (Hindustan Times, Mint), and The Indian Express counted 245 trains cancelled. The CJP has called a second march for Sunday, with traffic curbs at about 30 points (Mint).
A mass protest against the head of the body that runs India's elections, met with mass detentions and shutdowns of public transport, tests the line between public order and the right to protest. It comes as the revision of electoral rolls (SIR) is disputed in several states.
If you live or work near central Delhi, expect traffic diversions and possible metro disruption today. Check the DMRC and traffic-police advisories before leaving. Outside Delhi, daily life is unaffected, though protests were also held in other cities.
Peaceful protest is a democratic right, and blanket closures of metro stations and trains, plus mass detentions of leaders and lawyers, punish ordinary citizens and chill dissent.
Delhi's government and the BJP say the capital cannot be held hostage, that police acted to prevent disorder near sensitive areas, and that the unrest does not reflect the country's mood.
Judge the next days by three facts: how many people actually gather today, how many are held and for how long, and what the Supreme Court says on Sunday. The Election Commission's answer to the SIR complaints will matter more over weeks than the street count. Until a second source confirms them, every crowd and detention figure is a claim.
DailyDrop India edition No. 7 · Morning · SUN., OCT. 11, 2026