YouTuber Dhruv Rathee on Saturday was detained by Delhi Police from his residence in Gurugram's Sector 56 ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) proposed protest at Jantar Mantar, according to reports. Rathee has come to join the demonstration, which has prompted heightened security arrangements across the national capital.
The CJP condemned the detention Dhruv Rathee from his Gurugram house and announced the beginning of its "Jantar Mantar 2.0" protest. The outfit demanded that he and hundreds of other youths, who were detained while still on their way to the Jantar Mantar protest site, be released immediately.
In a statement, the CJP termed the detention a part of an "aggressive, citywide government crackdown designed to silence democratic dissent regarding electoral roll irregularities." "The CJP demands the immediate and unconditional release of Rathee, and the hundreds of other citizens and student activists currently held in custody," it said.
On Friday, around 200 protestors were detained across the New Delhi area, where police are using drones to monitor movement of people attempting to reach the protest site, according to news agency PTI.
Paramilitary companies in green and khaki uniforms, BSF, and the Rapid Action Force (RAF), laden with heavy rucksacks, tactical gear, and rifles, marched in formation with the city police to gather around Parliament Street Police Station metres away.
Several members of Delhi Police, accused of excesses during the previous protest, wore body cameras. Buses which dropped the security forces were parked along roadside near the police station.
Delhi Police's Pink Force, deployed for women's safety, was stationed at several locations. Police were seen carrying lathis and protective gear as security arrangements were put in place at various points to maintain law and order.
Constant announcements about the imposition of Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) were made from loudspeakers at the police station, which has also turned into a pit stop for personnel to report and then get further details of deployment.
At the next road intersection, in front of NDMC Palika Kendra, the deployment was the heaviest. Sansad Marg towards Connaught Place and Tolstoy Road were blocked with multi-layers of barricades, with police companies standing in their front. Heavy deployment, including a large number of female security personnel, was made right outside the NDMC building and other spots around Jantar Mantar.
In some buildings near Jantar Mantar, private security guards were briefed on how to manage the crowd. Passersby were asked to show their identity cards to filter out non-office workers, especially protesters, who were asked to return.
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Why Is CJP Protesting
The restrictions, stringent by usual standards, were proposed in view of the Cockroach Janta Party's protest at Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Kumar is facing allegations of voter-list tampering under the guise of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and of bypassing his two colleagues to alter Form 6, a key document to register as a voter.
(with inputs from PTI)
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