The heavy crackdown turned the national capital into a high-security fortress on Saturday, as crowds attempted to march toward Jantar Mantar.
The United Nations human rights office has voiced deep concern over widespread detentions across India's capital on Saturday after police rounded up more than 3,000 demonstrators, including top opposition figures.
Commenting on Saturday's events in Delhi, UN Human Rights Spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan stated that the global body is alarmed by reports of mass arrests targeting protesters, civil society members, lawyers, and journalists both before and during the rallies. The UN urged Indian authorities to safeguard the fundamental right to peaceful assembly. Al-Kheetan stressed that any government restrictions "must meet strict tests of necessity and proportionality". Furthermore, the spokesperson insisted that law enforcement agencies must show utmost restraint in line with India's democratic traditions. Calling for an end to arbitrary custody, the UN demanded that "all those arbitrarily detained must be immediately and unconditionally released" while urging officials to open meaningful dialogue to resolve citizen concerns.
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Capital locked down over poll chief stir
The heavy crackdown turned the national capital into a high-security fortress on Saturday, October 10, as crowds attempted to march toward Jantar Mantar. Organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) under the banner 'Jantar Mantar 2.0', the demonstration targeted Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged discrepancies in electoral rolls. Police moved swiftly across the city, detaining roughly 1,000 marchers early in the day before the total count surpassed 3,000. Senior opposition leaders from the INDIA bloc—including former chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, Pinarayi Vijayan, and Manik Sarkar—were taken into custody as they tried to reach the venue to demand Kumar's resignation. Security forces even intercepted activists before they reached the streets; CJP activist Abhijeet Dipke shared a video on Instagram showing police detaining him and his team at Delhi Airport right after their flight from Mumbai arrived.
Police cite permit refusal as opposition hits back
Justifying their actions, Delhi Police sources explained that officers took demonstrators into preventive custody after officially informing them that permission had not been granted for the gathering. However, opposition parties fiercely condemned the police action. Attacking the administration, the Indian National Congress accused the government of turning the "mother of democracy" into a "muzzled democracy". The party added that the government's official workplace, long promoted as a service site or "seva teerth", had degraded into a crumbling seat of power or "satta teerth".
Published: 10 Oct 2026, 08:17 pm IST
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