Delhi protest against CEC LIVE updates: Delhi Police detain protesters headed to Jantar Mantar; Dipke on his way to capital

Security has been tightened at Noida (U.P)-Delhi border on Saturday (October 10, 2026) in view of the anti-CEC protest called by the CJP. Jantar Mantar, the protest site, is around 10 kms from here.

Vijaita Singh

At Minto Bridge in Delhi, only those with valid ID for work are being allowed to pass in view of the protest called by CJP at Jantar Mantar.

Several people, who said they are heading to Jantar Mantar, were stopped and their names were noted. Among them, 23-year-old Akanshna Mishra, who is a few days into her new job, was asked to furnish joining letter in absence of ID. She said her ID has not been issued yet. “Internet is not working, and they are saying ask someone to send my joining letter.”

Suruchi Kumari

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has “accepted defeat” even before the agitation at Jantar Mantar against CEC Gyanesh Kumar begins.

In a sharp post on X shortly before boarding his flight at the Mumbai airport, Mr. Dipke wrote that the shutdown of Delhi and crackdown on supporters were “not signs of strength”, but of a leader terrified of his own people.

YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, who was expected to join the protest called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar, has been detained from Gurugram where he was staying with his father. He has reportedly been taken to an undisclosed location in Gurugram, as per sources in the intelligence agencies.

“The Dictator is TERRIFIED of young people who question its wrongdoings and refuse to stay silent,” the CJP said.

Police personnel deployed near Lajpat Nagar metro station are stopping people commuting on two wheelers to inquire about their destinations.

Meanwhile, at a barricade set up at Nizamuddin near the Neela Gumbad roundabout, only those with government ID cards are being allowed to proceed towards central Delhi.

Many people from south/southeast Delhi on their way to work are stranded. Most impacted are daily wage workers.

Nikhil Babu, Suruchi Kumari

Several commuters who rely on UPI payments on a daily basis are unable to pay their transport fare due to the Internet shutdown in view of the CJP protest on Saturday (October 10, 2026). Those who use apps to navigate and book rides are also complaining that they are stranded.

Meanwhile, many protesters stayed at the Bangla Sahib Gurdwara overnight so that they do not face a problem in commuting to the Jantar Mantar protest site.

Lavpreet Kaur

Security arrangements tightened at Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport, with security personnel deployed at the airport premises.

Another protester Sabika Muzaffar, 36, has been removed from the protest site in Jantar Mantar, her mother Shaheena said. “I couldn’t see where they took her in the crowd of security personnel. I think she may have been out on one of the buses. I don’t know who to speak to about it,” she told The Hindu.

Ms. Shaheena has also been detained.

Abhinay Lakshman

Delhi Police expects around 7,000 protesters to arrive in the national capital on Saturday (October 10, 2026), with senior officers directing personnel to exercise maximum restraint and handle the situation professionally, an official said.

Sources said Delhi Police has made it clear that no unauthorised gathering will be allowed. Personnel have been directed to detain those arriving to participate in the protest and shift them to designated detention centres.

On the possibility of shifting the protesters to Ramlila Maidan, police clarified that no application seeking permission to hold a demonstration there has been received so far.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Atishi on Saturday morning (October 10, 2026) hit out at the government over the restrictions in place ahead of the CJP-led protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

“1000s of people in preventive detention; 45 metro stations closed; internet shutdown,” she wrote in a social media post on alleging that all of it is being done to “protect a man who makes BJP win elections illegally!”

25-year-old Geetika, a software engineer and Faridabad resident, showed up at the Jantar Mantar protest site early on Saturday (October 10, 2026). “Usually, our country has seen serious enquiries whenever such serious allegations are made like the ones against the CEC in the Indian Express report. But where is the investigation? Why is there no inquiry into such serious charges?” she told The Hindu.

Ms. Geetika said that she left her home at 4 a.m. without telling her family because “It is now or never”.

“The news we heard of the intense security arrangements all day yesterday made me scared. But that is also what made me decide finally that I have to come here to protest,” she added.

Abhinay Lakshman

All Mail and Express trains scheduled to arrive at New Delhi (NDLS) and Hazrat Nizamuddin (NZM) between 4:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Saturday (October 10, 2026) have been cancelled.

Photo credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap

At least two people, who arrived to join the protest, have been detained and taken inside a bus at the Ashoka Road-Jantar Mantar Road roundabout ahead of the proposed CJP-led demonstration today.

The roundabout is swarmed with uniformed personnel of the Delhi Police and security forces. Pink Force of the Delhi Police have also been deployed for security.

Abhinay Lakshman

At the Mumbai airport, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, who is set to arrive in the national capital by 10 a.m., said the government is “scared” amid the unprecedented clampdown in view of the CJP protest against the CEC.

When asked if he will be arrested upon reaching Delhi airport, he said, “If they want to detain or arrest me, let them go ahead. I am ready for it; let them arrest or detain me. It makes no difference to me. Invoke the UAPA, invoke the NSA—go ahead and do it. But we will keep fighting for free and fair elections and to save this country’s democracy.”

“These body cams are to protect us and others. In situations of manhandling, allegations are levelled against Delhi Police. So, these body cams will prove whether we did anything to anyone or not. This will record eveything…” a Delhi Police personnel said, adding that those deployed for the CJP protest today will be using these body cameras on their uniform.

Shaheena, 63, reached Jantar Mantar at 6 a.m. with her daughter after leaving from their home in Gurugram in the early hours on Saturday (October 10, 2026). “We thought we should leave early because it would have been more difficult later. It was so important for me to be here because we need to save our democracy from this ruling BJP government. Our entire citizenship is being questioned through the SIR process.”

Ms. Shaheena, who is married to a professor at IIT Delhi, is at the protest site with her daughter, who has made a poster for the planned agitation against the CEC.

Ms. Shaheena and her daughter seem to be the only protesters at the Ashoka Road side entry to the Jantar Mantar protest site. Bus loads of security personnel continue to enter the designated site from this side intermittently.

Abhinay Lakshman

At Jantar Mantar, a loudspeaker continues to make announcements warning media personnel to not report from amongst the protesters or enter any crowd of protesters as people begin to trickle in to join the proposed CJP protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

The announcements also ask the media personnel to report the events from a distance that does not obstruct police personnel.

Abhinay Lakshman

Staff at workplaces nearby the Jantar Mantar protest site in New Delhi said on Saturday (October 10, 2026) that they are arriving about 4-5 hours ahead of their designated shift times in anticipation of road blockades in view of the CJP protest.

30-year-old Rohan, an F&B staffer at a prominent New Delhi hotel, told TheHindu that he was stopped by security personnel three times on his way from Chhattarpur.

“They asked me who I was, where I was going, what I was going there for. I showed my ID at each stop and also offered to have them speak to the security staff at my workplace. Our employers had warned us to come early in anticipation of security blockades. That is why I have reached here at 630 for a shift that starts at 11 am,” he said.

Abhinay Lakshman

The Delhi Police have detained at least 100 people with criminal records in overnight operations across 15 districts, sources told The Hindu. These include the people who were suspected of joining the October 10 CJP-led protest amid the Election Commission row.

Police are also keeping a close watch on the movements of certain people who could mobilise people or influence them to participate in the proposed demonstration. Surveillance has been intensified outside the residences of such people as part of the security measures.

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Saturday (October 10, 2026) left his hotel for Mumbai Airport to attend the Jantar Mantar protest in the national capital.

He is expected to reach Delhi by 10 a.m., a CJP functionary said.

PTI

The Delhi Police have denied permission for the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) proposed protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10, citing alleged non-compliance with conditions agreed to during an earlier demonstration, Joint Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Nupur Prasad said on Friday (October 9, 2026), a day before the proposed protest.

The official said that the permission was sought in the last minute while as per rules it should be sort atleast 10 days before the protest.

In view of the CJP-led protest in the national capital, the Delhi Police are checking vehicles at entry and exit points of Delhi’s borders.

The affected stretches in Central Delhi include the Ashoka Road-Jantar Mantar Road roundabout, Tolstoy Marg-Janpath crossing, Jai Singh Road-Sansad Marg crossing, Rail Bhawan roundabout, Patel Chowk, Gol Dak Khana and Windsor Place. Traffic movement might be affected also at Mandi House, the Chelmsford Road and Sansad Marg intersections with Connaught Place’s outer circle, the Barakhamba Road intersection, and the Minto Road-Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg junction.

Other affected stretches include the Chelmsford Road-Connaught Place outer circle intersection, Bharion Road-Mahatma Gandhi Marg intersection, Lodhi Road flyover, Neela Gumbad roundabout, Madarsa T-point, Samrat Hotel roundabout, Sardar Patel Marg-Panchsheel Marg crossing, the underpasses beneath the Bhikaji Cama Place and Moti Bagh flyovers, and the Ring Road-San Martin Marg intersection.

Heavy barricading was seen near the Jantar Mantar protest site, early in the morning

Passengers travelling from Jammu and Katra to different parts of the country faced considerable inconvenience after four trains scheduled to depart on Friday (October 9, 2026) were cancelled at short notice due to anticipated traffic congestion around New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations.

The Jammu railway division said it has made special arrangements to help passengers, officials said.

The Railway Board on Friday (October 9, 2026) cancelled over 250 trains connecting New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations with destinations across the country ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) October 10 protest, demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

PTI

Even before sunrise, as porters hunt for work at their rest stops outside Delhi’s Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station, their conversations revolved around the protests scheduled for later in the day, with many expressing sentiments like “the public has awakened now”, “looks like the police is preparing to beat the protesters”, and “all eyes are on Jantar Mantar”.

Several porters said that the cancellation of trains by the Government in light of the youth protests today will hit their incomes hard — not just for the day but over the next few days up to a week.

One 34-year-old porter, who expressed fears about disclosing his name, said, “The trains that are arriving now in the early morning hours had left days before. But the trains that have been cancelled were supposed to arrive later in the day and over the next few days. This will also cause trouble for people who were supposed to board these trains on the return trips. Naturally, all those people will also be inconvenienced.”

– Abhinay Lakshman

As Delhi braces for a protest at Jantar Mantar by the CJP over the demand for the resignation of chief election commissioner, traffic diversions will be enforced from 6 am, with movement likely to be affected at 30 key points across Delhi, police said.

According to an advisory issued by the Delhi Traffic Police, the diversions will be enforced depending on the prevailing law and order situation. Commuters will face restrictions around Connaught Place, Mandi House, Jantar Mantar, Patel Chowk, and several other key intersections in Lutyens’ Delhi.

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In light of the proposed protest, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has announced the closure of the following metro stations:

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Ahead of the massive protest by the ​Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)​ alongside student organisations, social activists and farmer organisations on Saturday (October 10, 2026), authorities have clamped down with strict security measures and traffic restrictions across New Delhi.

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As Delhi police authorities prepare to subdue a mass gathering, Cockroach Janta Party’s founder in a late night X post said he would be reaching Delhi by 9.30. a.m.

Mr. Dipke appealed to protesters to remain peaceful, saying that protest called on October 10 should not end even if he is detained or arrested. He said, “I will reach Delhi tomorrow morning, and I don’t know what will follow. But I am not afraid of detention, or UAPA Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) or the National Security Act (NSA) charges. We are fighting for free and fair elections, and it cannot happen without the rollback of SIR and resignation of Gyanesh Kumar.”

“Even if I am detained, the protest should not end. Don’t make it (protest) around one person, make it around the Constitution of India.”

– PTI

Protesters are still coordinating at what time they will be heading to the protest site, and are taking security into consideration, by planning to visit in smaller groups.

Some students said the curbs suggested that their protest was already gaining momentum.

Aditi, JNUSU president, who is currently on a hunger strike over various campus issues, said around 3,000 students had joined a protest from the campus on July 20, and they expected a similar turnout this time.

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Late on Friday night, students say that they were being stopped by the police around the respective campus areas, as they attempted to head to the protest site.

NSUI Jamia Millia Islamia Secretary Ebin Basil said, “Four of our female friends who were stepping out in an Uber were detained by the police around 11.30 near Jamia, following which we went to the police station to ask why women are being detained at night. The police recognised me and another NSUI member by name and said that we were already on the list of preventative detentions. Because there were women students with us, who asked for our release, we were released at around 3 a.m.”

JNU campus gates were barricaded late at night, against which students then proceeded to protest.

– Ashna Butani

Good Morning!

Follow live updates from The Hindu’s reporters on-ground, as despite denial of permission from the Delhi Police, the Cockroach Janta Party has asked its supporters to reach Jantar Mantar at 10 a.m. on Saturday (October 10), looking to go ahead with the protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the rollback of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

Click below to read more on how authorities in Delhi are preparing for the protest: