Lockdown, crackdown: People on roads bundled into buses, taken away by police; Delhi won’t be held hostage, says CM

Delhi saw a massive surge in detainments on Saturday as the city entered a lockdown, with police and Central forces cracking down on a protest organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The CJP was demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, following allegations of electoral fraud. The protest took place at Jantar Mantar, a site where the party had been protesting since July over leaked exam papers.

Before the protest could even begin, police moved swiftly to dismantle it, detaining leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, and Ashutosh Ranka after they arrived in Delhi from Mumbai on an aircraft. This was not the only detention, as Opposition leaders Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal, Pinarayi Vijayan, and Manik Sarkar were also picked up and taken to detention centers.

Protesters, journalists, and bystanders were similarly rounded up and transported to holding facilities. Amidst the crackdown, some leaders, including Dipke, announced a new leader for the movement, while others, like Neha from the students' organization All India Students' Association, were released after a public outcry. The protest continued to grow, with flash protests breaking out in various parts of the city, including Dilli Haat, Safdarjung flyover, Raj Ghat, and Connaught Place.

Former Chief Ministers and leaders from various parties were among those detained, with some even daring Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take whatever action he deemed necessary.