New Delhi is under heightened security on October 10 ahead of a planned protest by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar. Party founder Abhijeet Dipke left Mumbai on Saturday morning to travel to the national capital for the demonstration, which seeks the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The protest is linked to concerns raised by critics over the Election Commission’s functioning and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The Delhi Police has denied permission for the proposed gathering, citing concerns over law and order, possible public inconvenience and compliance with conditions imposed during earlier demonstrations. CJP leaders have maintained that they intend to proceed with the protest, arguing that citizens have a right to demonstrate peacefully. Dipke had indicated before leaving Mumbai that he would travel to Delhi despite the possibility of being detained by authorities.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has closed entry and exit gates at 45 metro stations as part of the security arrangements. Affected stations include Rajiv Chowk, New Delhi, Central Secretariat, Patel Chowk and Kashmere Gate, among others. The restrictions are scheduled to remain in place until 6 pm on Saturday. Commuters have been advised to plan their journeys carefully, particularly those travelling through central Delhi or heading to major transport hubs.

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Rail services have also been affected, with more than 250 trains scheduled to arrive at or depart from New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations cancelled for the specified period. In addition, mobile internet services have been suspended within a four-kilometre radius of the Janpath-Kartavya Path crossing for 24 hours. Authorities have increased security checks at Delhi's borders and deployed additional personnel at key locations as part of measures to prevent disturbances during the planned demonstration.

The protest centres on CJP's demand for Gyanesh Kumar's resignation and its objections to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Dipke has also called for changes to the process used to select Election Commissioners, arguing that the system should support free and fair elections. The Election Commission and the BJP have rejected allegations of electoral manipulation, while the police have maintained that the restrictions are necessary to address potential law-and-order concerns. The situation remains closely watched as authorities prepare for the planned gathering at Jantar Mantar.

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