Delhi witnessed an extensive security operation on Saturday as authorities moved to prevent a planned protest by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Vehicle checks at the city’s borders, widespread barricading and thousands of preventive detentions made it difficult for protesters to reach Jantar Mantar. Security personnel were deployed across central Delhi and surrounding areas, with those who managed to approach the protest site encountering a heavy police presence. The restrictions significantly limited the gathering’s momentum, turning the anticipated “Jantar Mantar 2.0” agitation into a subdued demonstration.

The security arrangements appeared to reflect lessons from the paper leak protests in July, when authorities faced concerns about crowd mobilisation and the possibility of disorder. The CJP had previously organised demonstrations in Mumbai and Bengaluru, which passed off peacefully, before calling for the Delhi protest. Ahead of Saturday’s gathering, around 221 companies of Central Armed Police Forces, comprising approximately 23,000 personnel, were reportedly deployed across the national capital. Additional forces were brought in from Jammu and Kashmir and Chhattisgarh. Barricades linked with metal chains were installed at 37 points around a two-kilometre perimeter near Jantar Mantar, while road spike strips were used to restrict vehicle movement.

Transport restrictions further complicated access to the protest site. Around 45 metro stations were reportedly shut, leaving several parts of central Delhi and neighbouring areas difficult to reach. Patel Nagar became one of the closest operational metro stations for people approaching from West Delhi, requiring a lengthy walk towards Jantar Mantar. In East Delhi, police personnel were stationed near Yamuna Bank metro station. Vehicles and buses carrying young passengers were stopped at several locations, with occupants questioned about their destinations. Reports also described auto-rickshaw drivers refusing journeys to Connaught Place and nearby areas. As a result, security personnel substantially outnumbered the protesters attempting to approach the designated protest area.

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Preventive detentions became another major factor limiting participation. Authorities detained at least 3,000 suspected protesters from different parts of the country, according to the report, while the CJP claimed the number exceeded 10,000. YouTuber Dhruv Rathee was detained at his Gurugram residence on Saturday morning before he could travel to Jantar Mantar. CJP legal team head Ratna Singh alleged that she and three other lawyers had also been detained. In a video, Singh claimed that more than 25 police personnel surrounded her car and prevented her from leaving. These incidents added to concerns among the organisers about their ability to assemble supporters in Delhi.

The crackdown also affected the CJP’s senior leadership. Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained by women police personnel after arriving at Indira Gandhi International Airport on an Air India flight from Mumbai. They were subsequently taken to separate locations. The report noted that the reason for deploying women officers was unclear. Detentions also extended to people travelling by train. On Friday, at least 14 students travelling from Pune were reportedly taken off the Goa Express and detained at Itarsi in Madhya Pradesh. A group of CJP volunteers from Telangana was also detained at Bhopal railway station while travelling towards Delhi.

By Saturday, the combination of transport restrictions, extensive deployments and preventive detentions had substantially weakened the planned protest. Security personnel were seen surrounding individual demonstrators and escorting them towards buses, while the streets leading to Jantar Mantar remained largely inaccessible. The CJP’s agitation had been expected to draw attention to its opposition to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, but the measures prevented a large gathering from taking shape at the site. Although the protest’s organisers claimed that thousands had been detained, the available account did not establish a final verified total. The developments highlighted how the extensive security arrangements had shaped the course of the planned demonstration.

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