Delhi on high alert ahead of CJP protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar; Metro, internet restrictions announced

According to media reports, the national capital has been placed under heightened security, with the Centre deploying more than 40,000 Delhi Police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel, along with drones, ahead of the demonstration in the heart of the city.

Highlights:

What has happened since morning?

Heavy security: Delhi Police and central forces have been deployed around Jantar Mantar, with barricades and restrictions on gatherings.

Detentions before the protest: Hindustan Times reported that police detained people described as “suspicious” near Jantar Mantar ahead of the demonstration.

Protest leadership: CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke was travelling from Mumbai to Delhi and was expected to arrive around 10 am.

Police denied permission: The demonstration was planned despite the denial, with organisers insisting that peaceful protest is a fundamental right.

Transport disruption: Metro restrictions and train cancellations have affected access to central Delhi.

Why Is CJP Protesting?

The CJP is demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The party has been raising the issue for several weeks through protests and public statements.

The Delhi Police have reportedly denied permission for the CJP to hold the demonstration in the national capital.

According to NDTV, more than 400 people, including individuals with criminal records, have already been detained across Delhi as part of the security measures.

In addition, entry and exit gates at 45 Delhi Metro stations, including Rajiv Chowk, New Delhi, Central Secretariat, Patel Chowk and Kashmere Gate, will remain closed on Saturday.

Reports also said that more than 250 trains from other states, along with local trains scheduled to arrive at New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations between 4 am and 2 pm on Saturday, have been cancelled.

The Delhi Police have also ordered a 24-hour suspension of mobile internet services within a four-kilometre radius of the Janpath-Kartavya Path crossing ahead of the CJP protest.

The shutdown is scheduled to take effect at 10 pm on Friday, October 9, and remain in force until 10 pm on Saturday, October 10, 2026.

The order was issued by the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police on Friday evening and communicated to telecom operators Airtel, Vodafone Idea, Jio and MTNL.

The decision came hours after the Supreme Court questioned the extensive restrictions on public transportation imposed ahead of the protest, observing that authorities could not resort to excessive measures to address a potential law-and-order situation.

Several Key Areas to Face Internet Disruptions

According to the order, the Union Home Secretary considered the police's request to suspend mobile internet services across all technologies under the Telecommunications (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024, read with the Telecommunications Act, 2023.

Telecom operators have been directed to take the necessary steps to implement the shutdown.

The affected zone will include parts or all of Connaught Place, Mandi House, Pragati Maidan, Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, Barakhamba Road, Khan Market, Lodhi Road and Jangpura.

Police officials have maintained that the restrictions are necessary to maintain law and order during the protest.

In a post on X, the Delhi Police said: “The right to protest must be protected, but so must the right of a city to function safely.”

Meanwhile, CJP chief Abhijeet Dipke criticised the restrictions imposed by the Centre ahead of the demonstration.

“Modi has accepted defeat even before our protest has begun,” he wrote on X.

“The mass crackdown on protesters and the shutdown of Delhi are not signs of strength, but of a leader terrified of his own people,” he added.

CJP's Previous Protest

The CJP had previously staged demonstrations in July over the NEET paper leak controversy. Following the protests, then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned, according to the report.