From mass detentions to political war of words: How Delhi protests unfolded

New Delhi saw a significant escalation in security measures on October 10, as the Delhi Police took steps to prevent the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) planned protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Jantar Mantar. The day started with the denial of permission for the protest, leading to the deployment of around 35,000 police and paramilitary personnel across the city.

Special attention was given to Jantar Mantar, with barricades, checkpoints, metro restrictions, and mobile internet curbs in place. Police also detained 30-40 people with criminal records as a preventive measure, with the number of detentions reaching over 3,000 by late afternoon.

CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, and Ashutosh Ranka were detained at the airport after landing from Mumbai, while YouTuber Dhruv Rathee was taken from his Gurugram residence. The opposition accused the government of suppressing dissent, with BJP pointing to the SIR process and accusing protesters of trying to create unrest. As the situation unfolded, students, lawyers, and activists were also detained, with the number of arrests rising from 600 in the morning to approximately 1,000 by the afternoon.

The BJP defended the police action, describing it as a triumph for democracy over "mob rule," while accusing the protesters of attempting to destabilize the country. The Chief Justice of India intervened, urging authorities to release detained lawyers who were peacefully protesting outside the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, opposition leaders like Arvind Kejriwal and Mamata Banerjee were detained while joining the planned protest.

The day concluded with the CJP naming Ajinkya Shinde as its protest leader and urging those detained to turn any location into their "Jantar Mantar."