Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal was detained by Delhi Police on Saturday, October 10, while marching from his residence towards Jantar Mantar to join a protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The former Delhi chief minister criticised the extensive security restrictions imposed across the national capital, describing the situation as “worse than the Emergency” and alleging that the country was living under a dictatorship. The demonstration was organised to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls.

Kejriwal had earlier announced that he and his family would participate in the demonstration and urged young people to join the protest. However, police personnel were deployed outside his residence before he began marching towards Jantar Mantar. His detention followed the preventive detention of CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and party members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka after their flight from Mumbai landed in Delhi. The action against the party’s leadership became a central issue in the opposition’s criticism of the security arrangements.

Reacting to the developments, Kejriwal accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of attempting to suppress dissent and protect the alleged electoral irregularities. In a post on social media, he argued that detaining CJP leaders immediately after their arrival in Delhi reflected fear among those in power. He also repeated opposition allegations of “vote chori”, or vote theft, and called for both Kumar’s resignation and Modi’s removal from office. These statements reflected the AAP leader’s political position, while the allegations of electoral fraud remain contested.

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AAP leaders also criticised the police presence around Kejriwal’s residence. Atishi, a senior party leader, condemned his detention and questioned the government’s decision to take action against a former chief minister for demanding the Election Commission chief’s resignation. Other AAP leaders alleged that security restrictions had effectively prevented opposition figures and protesters from reaching the demonstration site. Delhi Police had denied permission for the planned rally, citing the late submission of the organisers’ application.

The capital witnessed extensive security measures ahead of the protest, with more than 20,000 personnel deployed across the city, according to reports. Authorities suspended mobile internet services within a four-kilometre radius of Jantar Mantar for 24 hours, while entry and exit gates at 45 metro stations were shut. More than 250 trains were also cancelled, and hundreds of people were detained as they attempted to join the demonstration. The restrictions disrupted movement across parts of Delhi and prompted criticism from opposition leaders.

The protest centres on allegations by the CJP and opposition groups that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has involved irregularities affecting voter registration. The Election Commission maintains that the exercise is intended to verify electoral records and correct inaccurate entries. Police said permission for the demonstration had been refused because organisers applied too late, while opposition leaders questioned the scale of the security response. Kejriwal’s detention added to the political dispute over electoral transparency, public order and the right to peaceful assembly in the national capital.

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