Delhi Police detained hundreds of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) supporters on Saturday, including senior opposition leaders, as they headed to Jantar Mantar.
The people are demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Many were taken to Chhatrasal Stadium.
Visuals from Connaught Place, near the protest site, showed demonstrators being led into police vans. The CJP has alleged irregularities in voter registration and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and had called a large gathering at Jantar Mantar.
Delhi Police detained a number of protesters who had begun gathering near Jantar Mantar for the proposed Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest. The action comes amid an unprecedented security deployment across the national capital, with thousands of personnel stationed at key locations and extensive restrictions imposed around the protest site. Authorities had earlier denied permission for the demonstration and warned against unauthorized gatherings. #DelhiPolice #JantarMantar #CJP #DelhiProtest
— NDTV (@ndtv) October 10, 2026
Police denied permission, saying organisers had informed them too late.
Three of the party's leading figures, Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, were taken into preventive custody after their flight landed in the capital this morning.
About 400 protesters had already been detained overnight.
Opposition leaders were also held. Pinarayi Vijayan, Kerala's leader of the opposition and former chief minister, was briefly detained at Chhatrasal Stadium.
A video shared by CPI(M) MP John Brittas showed him with Brittas and former Kerala finance minister KN Balagopal. Brittas said the group was driven around Delhi in a police jeep for nearly an hour before reaching the stadium.
ALSO READ | CJP Leader Abhijeet Dipke Detained By Delhi Police Inside Airplane In New Delhi | Watch Video
He accused the police of "behaving without basic courtesy" and alleged that basic civil liberties were being taken away. Several other Left leaders were also detained.
The CJP began as a viral movement and has drawn support from opposition parties.
Authorities mounted an unprecedented security deployment. More than 20,000 police personnel were stationed across the city and 300 CCTV cameras installed to monitor the situation.
Internet services were suspended within a 4 km radius of Jantar Mantar for 24 hours from 10pm on Friday.
ALSO READ | YouTuber Dhruv Rathee Detained By Delhi Police Ahead of CJP Protest At Jantar Mantar
Entry and exit gates were shut at 45 Metro stations, including Rajiv Chowk, New Delhi, Central Secretariat, Patel Chowk and Kashmere Gate. More than 250 trains from other states and local services due at Hazrat Nizamuddin and New Delhi stations were cancelled.
Dozens of Metro stations were closed overnight. Police had warned against unauthorised gatherings.
The measures appear aimed at preventing a repeat of the July protest over exam paper leaks, which drew a huge turnout in the capital.
That agitation demanded the resignation of then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who eventually stepped down, a demand the government accepted.
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.