The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and the Students' Federation of India (SFI) have alleged that their workers and supporters are being detained in different parts of the country ahead of a protest scheduled for October 10 at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The organisations have also alleged that the families of some activists have been intimidated. Meanwhile, Delhi Police has intensified checks at hotels, guest houses and groups arriving in the capital ahead of the proposed demonstration.
The developments come amid protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
CJP has alleged that some students travelling from Pune to Delhi were detained en route. According to the party, the students were taken off a bus and moved to an undisclosed location.
The organisation also shared a video on social media purportedly showing several young people inside a bus in Madhya Pradesh. In the video, a young man claimed that Madhya Pradesh Police had detained him.
Independent verification of the video and all claims related to the alleged detentions was not available. Official police statements and relevant documents would be required to establish the circumstances of the reported incidents.
CJP and its supporters have further alleged that police personnel have been visiting activists' homes and putting pressure on their family members. The organisation said such actions could create apprehension among people planning to participate in the October 10 protest.
The Students' Federation of India (SFI), a left-wing student organisation, has also alleged that police personnel have been visiting the homes of its activists and members of other democratic organisations. According to the organisation, some people have been detained and their families intimidated.
SFI identified its Saharanpur district coordinator, Arif, among those allegedly detained. A separate claim also alleged the detention of Daud Rao, a leader of the All India Kisan Sabha.
The allegations raise questions about whether legal action has been taken against people travelling to participate in the proposed demonstration. Clarification from the relevant police authorities would be required to establish who was detained, the grounds for the action and whether those individuals were subsequently released.
Delhi Police has stepped up security arrangements in the capital ahead of the October 10 protest. According to a Hindustan Times report dated October 9, police officers have been visiting hotels, guest houses and other accommodation facilities to ask guests about the purpose of their visits and the duration of their stays. Some guests and hotel employees also confirmed the police visits, the report said.
According to the report, police are particularly seeking to identify groups that may have travelled to Delhi to participate in the demonstration. Authorities are checking accommodation records, identification details and room booking information.
The Indian Express has also reported additional security measures by Delhi Police ahead of the proposed demonstration. According to the report, permission had not been granted for the protest at Jantar Mantar, and the administration had prepared to manage a potential gathering.
CJP had announced a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on October 10, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Party leader Abhijit Deepke had previously posted on social media that supporters from across the country would travel to Delhi if the chief election commissioner did not resign.
In his messages, Deepke linked the protest to democratic rights and the impartiality of the electoral process and criticised the government. He also claimed that detaining people would not silence opposition voices.
The protest is linked to the controversy surrounding the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Opposition parties and some civil society organisations have alleged a lack of transparency in the process of adding and deleting names from voter lists.
A report on the functioning of the Election Commission has also featured in the demands for the chief election commissioner's resignation.
According to an investigation published by The Indian Express on September 23, 2026, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections at least 14 times over SIR-related decisions and orders during the preceding 10 months.
The report said the two officials had questioned certain decisions on the grounds that they had been taken without their knowledge or recommendations.
According to the report, the objections covered the addition of new names to electoral rolls, the deletion and subsequent reinstatement of certain names, and access to electoral data and related software. Objections were also reportedly raised over the inclusion of an SIR-related question in Form 6, which is used for voter registration.
In response to the reports, Election Commission officials had said that the commission's decisions were taken unanimously and that the recorded observations formed part of the decision-making process.
The proposed demonstration has brought renewed attention to the balance between the right to protest, civil liberties and the maintenance of public order. CJP and SFI have linked their allegations of detentions to the right to protest, while the police administration has focused on crowd management and maintaining law and order in the capital.
The developments have drawn national attention amid the possibility of activists travelling to Delhi from different parts of the country, participation by student organisations and questions surrounding the Election Commission.
The total number of people allegedly detained, the grounds for action in individual cases and the likely scale of participation in the protest remain to be independently verified.
