Delhi Police has denied the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) permission to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar, prompting extensive security measures across the national capital ahead of the planned demonstration against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Authorities announced restrictions affecting metro services, mobile internet connectivity, railway operations and road traffic. The measures came as the Supreme Court directed the Centre and Delhi Police to reconsider blanket restrictions on public transport, stressing that authorities must follow the principle of proportionality.
Police Cite Law and Order Concerns
Joint Commissioner of Police Nupur Prasad said the CJP had applied for permission on October 7, only three days before the proposed gathering, despite a requirement for 10 days’ notice. Police also raised concerns over the party’s previous demonstration in July, which reportedly continued beyond its permitted duration.
In a letter issued on Thursday, the Deputy Commissioner of Police for New Delhi district warned that allowing the protest could lead to serious law and order problems.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said the party would proceed with its demonstration despite the denial of permission, accusing the authorities of restricting public movement to prevent supporters from reaching Delhi. Other party leaders described the restrictions as resembling an Emergency.
Delhi Police defended the measures as temporary and precautionary, citing concerns over crowd management and public safety. It said Jantar Mantar could accommodate approximately 1,000 people at a time and referred to incidents during earlier protests, including injuries to police personnel and alleged assaults on women constables.
Supreme Court Questions Blanket Restrictions
The Supreme Court, hearing a petition filed by Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary MA Baby, said authorities could regulate train services to prevent unlawful gatherings but should not bring public transport to a standstill and inconvenience ordinary commuters.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana emphasised the distinction between regulating movement and stopping it altogether.
The court recorded the Solicitor General’s agreement to reconsider the restrictions and ensure that metro and other train services operated under regulated arrangements without causing unnecessary inconvenience to Delhi residents.
The bench directed that metro services should not be prohibited outright and ordered authorities to publicise any revised transport arrangements and traffic advisories widely. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, railway authorities and Delhi Police’s traffic wing were asked to submit compliance reports within four days.
Metro, Rail and Internet Services Affected
The Delhi Metro initially announced the closure of entry and exit facilities at 57 stations from Friday night. Following the Supreme Court’s intervention, the list was reduced to 45 stations, with restrictions scheduled to remain in place until 6 pm on Saturday.
Mobile internet services were also slated for suspension within a four-kilometer radius of the Kartavya Path-Janpath intersection from Friday night to Saturday night, according to a document sent to service providers.
The restricted area includes parts of central Delhi, extending towards Safdarjung, ITO, Purana Qila and New Delhi railway station.
Railway authorities cancelled several mail and express trains scheduled to arrive at New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations, citing anticipated severe traffic congestion. Delhi Traffic Police also announced diversions at up to 30 locations around central Delhi and advised residents to avoid non-essential travel.
Security personnel, including Delhi Police, Noida Police and paramilitary forces, were deployed at border crossings and other strategic locations.
Authorities Step Up Monitoring of Protesters
Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan reportedly directed police chiefs across states and Union territories to coordinate with Delhi Police on preventive measures, citing intelligence inputs about supporters potentially travelling to the capital despite restrictions.
According to people familiar with the matter, Delhi Police collected information about passengers who had booked train tickets to Delhi to participate in the demonstration. Student groups also circulated videos on social media allegedly showing supporters being removed from trains.
The Central Industrial Security Force reportedly sought passenger details from airlines for selected flights to Delhi. Police officials also indicated that additional personnel could be deployed near transport hubs if protesters attempted to march towards restricted areas.
Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita were in force across New Delhi district.
CJP Vows to Continue Protest
Dipke maintained that the party would exercise its constitutional right to peaceful assembly, arguing that citizens should be able to question electoral decisions without intimidation.
The CJP alleges that the SIR exercise has resulted in the deletion of voters’ names without adequate accountability and has demanded Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. The Election Commission has faced mounting criticism from opposition parties over the revision process and related allegations.
The party also claimed that supporters had been detained across several states ahead of the demonstration, although the reported numbers could not be independently verified.
The planned protest follows several days of opposition demonstrations against the Election Commission in Delhi. Opposition lawmakers also met President Droupadi Murmu to raise concerns about the electoral process.
The developments have placed the authorities’ public-order concerns alongside questions about the proportionality of restrictions on transport and the exercise of the constitutional right to peaceful protest.
