Authorities in India detained numerous opposition leaders, student activists, and journalists on Sunday as police carried out extensive measures to prevent protests against India’s election chief in Delhi.
Among those taken into custody were prominent political figures including Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, and Pinarayi Vijayan, all former chief ministers of Delhi, West Bengal, and Kerala, respectively. Leaders from the youth-centric Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), such as Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka, and Saurav Das, were also detained. Other activists arrested included student leader Neha Bora, communist leader Brinda Karat, and economist and social activist Jean Drèze.
The demonstrations were organized by the CJP and the All India Students Association to demand the removal of Gyanesh Kumar, the chief election commissioner. Protesters accused Kumar of revising voter rolls in a manner that allegedly favored Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). However, the police rejected permission for the protests, citing security concerns, inadequate notice, and violations of conditions imposed on previous demonstrations.
On Friday, the home secretary, Govind Mohan, instructed authorities across states and federal territories to cooperate with Delhi police to deter potential protesters from traveling to the capital. Mohan also emphasized the need for real-time intelligence sharing among state agencies, transport bodies, and law enforcement in Delhi.
Police sources reported that nearly 1,200 people were detained overnight before Sunday’s protests to prevent public gatherings, with further detentions made throughout the day. Around 27,000 police and paramilitary personnel were deployed to enforce restrictions, particularly targeting the main protest site at Jantar Mantar. Authorities set up metal barricades, conducted vehicle checks, and blocked roads in central Delhi.
Public transportation faced significant disruptions as well, with 45 metro stations shut down and over 245 trains canceled, affecting mobility in and around the capital. Additionally, mobile internet services were suspended within a four-kilometer radius of Jantar Mantar from late Friday night until Sunday evening.
The three leading CJP figures were detained at Delhi airport prior to disembarking from a flight arriving from Mumbai. Video footage showed Abhijeet Dipke urging police officers boarding the plane to arrest him and his colleagues. The CJP condemned the detentions, describing them as an attempt to suppress the protests, and called for the immediate release of those held.
Following the arrests, the CJP announced that senior member Ajinkya Shinde would lead the protests in place of the detained leaders. Kejriwal was taken into custody while en route to Jantar Mantar, and Banerjee, along with several members of her Trinamool Congress party, were arrested near her residence, according to Member of Parliament Saket Gokhale.
The crackdown highlights ongoing tensions surrounding electoral processes and political dissent in India ahead of upcoming elections.