New Delhi — Indian Express reporters counted around 2,000 people detained across Delhi by 2:49 pm on Saturday, during the CJP Delhi protest demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal were detained hours apart, PTI reported stone pelting near Akashwani Bhawan that injured two police personnel, and no protester had reached Jantar Mantar by early afternoon.
By GlobalDeskNews Staff | New Delhi | October 10, 2026
CJP Delhi protest: 2,000 detained as the capital locks down
Indian Express reporters counted about 2,000 detentions across Delhi by 2:49 pm — on top of 1,000+ held overnight. Some 25,000 police and paramilitary sealed the capital: 45 metro stations restricted, 250+ trains cancelled till 2 pm, BNSS Section 163 in force.
Jantar Mantar stayed out of reach: by 1:20 pm no protester had reached the venue. A 100-150-strong crowd near Rajiv Chowk Metro was dispersed, Connaught Place crowds were detained or scattered, and 70+ were held outside Bangla Sahib gurdwara. The Supreme Court told the Centre the curbs must not become a complete shutdown.
Mamata Banerjee detained during South Avenue dharna
Former West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, stopped en route to Jantar Mantar, sat on a dharna at a South Avenue bus stand and refused to move. Police detained her with TMC’s Derek O’Brien and Dola Sen; TMC MP Saket Gokhale posted on X that she and five others were taken from outside her residence to an unknown location. Hours later she went live on Facebook from the police van.
Arvind Kejriwal, Pinarayi Vijayan among leaders detained
AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal and Delhi AAP chief Saurabh Bharadwaj were detained near Jantar Mantar by 3 pm; ex-Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia was detained in Chandigarh. Former Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, John Brittas and ex-finance minister K N Balagopal were detained en route to Jantar Mantar and taken to Chhatrasal Stadium. “Delhi is under the siege and basic democratic rights have been violated,” Brittas told the Indian Express.
CPI(M)’s MA Baby, Brinda Karat and KK Shailaja were detained marching from Kerala House, ETV Bharat reported — whose live blog alone headlined four former CMs including Manik Sarkar detained nearby — unconfirmed. AISA’s Neha Bora and Yogendra Yadav were detained near INA Metro marching from Dilli Haat; Prashant Bhushan too, as students halted their bus near Safdarjung flyover. In Mumbai, Tushar Gandhi — Mahatma Gandhi’s great-grandson — was detained before a solidarity protest at August Kranti Maidan.
Stone pelting near Akashwani Bhawan leaves two police personnel injured
PTI reported via ETV Bharat: stone pelting near Akashwani Bhawan around 1:10 pm injured two police personnel; several protesters were detained. ANI visuals on News9 showed SFI workers toppling barricades on Imtiaz Khan Marg at 1:58 pm.
Dipke’s grandmother dies; police offer choice on last rites
Amid the crackdown came personal grief: Dipke’s 85-year-old grandmother Savitribai Dipke died Saturday at Santuk Pimpri in Maharashtra after a prolonged illness, ETV Bharat reported. The detained Dipke was offered her last rites or continued detention.
Dipke said in a pre-recorded video that Ajinkya Shinde would lead while he, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka stayed detained — sent to Gurugram, Delhi and Dwarka (NDTV). In a CJP-shared airport video he told police: “Main arrest hone ke liye hi aaya hoon, kar lo arrest” (“I have come only to be arrested; arrest me” — author’s translation).
Why it matters
What set October 10 apart was the breadth: former CMs from Bengal and Kerala, the AAP’s top leadership, student leaders, lawyers and activists were swept up within hours. Congress chief Kharge accused the Modi government of turning “‘Mother of Democracy’ into a ‘Muzzled Democracy’”; M K Stalin compared the lockdown to the Emergency.
The BJP pushed back: president Nitin Nabin accused the CJP and Rahul Gandhi of trying to “destabilise” the country; MP Sambit Patra said “mobocracy” had been “defeated by democracy.” Economist Jean Drèze said at Jantar Mantar: “it’s not about security. The government isn’t afraid of violence; it fears people will realise their right to vote is being taken away” (ETV Bharat).
What happens next
The CJP isn’t backing down: its 3:40 pm post told supporters, “If Delhi Police tries to stop you, wherever they stop you will become your Jantar Mantar.” With Ajinkya Shinde leading in Dipke’s absence, the question is whether protesters regroup after a day in which every approach was sealed — or whether the detentions, which typically end in release, deflate the momentum.
Key takeaways
- 2,000 detained by 2:49 pm, 1,000+ more overnight (Indian Express count).
- Mamata Banerjee, Pinarayi Vijayan, Kejriwal, Neha Bora among those detained.
- No protester reached Jantar Mantar by 1:20 pm; 25,000 personnel sealed Delhi.
- Two police personnel hurt in Akashwani Bhawan stone pelting; SFI toppled barricades.
- Dipke’s grandmother, 85, died; he was offered her last rites or continued detention.
- Opposition: Emergency-like. BJP: “mobocracy” “defeated by democracy.”
Frequently asked questions
How many people were detained during the CJP Delhi protest?
Indian Express reporters counted about 2,000 detentions across Delhi by 2:49 pm on October 10, with at least 1,000 more detained overnight. Around 25,000 police and paramilitary were deployed, 45 metro stations restricted, and 250+ trains cancelled under BNSS Section 163.
Was Mamata Banerjee detained in Delhi today?
Yes. Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee sat on a dharna at a South Avenue bus stand and was detained with TMC leaders Derek O’Brien and Dola Sen. She later went live on Facebook from inside the police van.
Was Arvind Kejriwal detained near Jantar Mantar?
Yes. AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal was detained near Jantar Mantar around 3 pm, and Delhi AAP chief Saurabh Bharadwaj was detained with him. Former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia was detained in Chandigarh as police blocked all approaches to the venue.
Was Pinarayi Vijayan detained in Delhi today?
Yes. Former Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, John Brittas and ex-Kerala finance minister K N Balagopal were detained en route to Jantar Mantar and taken to Chhatrasal Stadium. CPI(M)’s MA Baby, Brinda Karat and KK Shailaja were also detained marching from Kerala House.
What happened near Akashwani Bhawan?
Stone pelting broke out near Akashwani Bhawan around 1:10 pm, PTI reported via ETV Bharat: two police personnel were injured and several protesters were detained. ANI visuals on News9 showed SFI workers toppling barricades on Imtiaz Khan Marg at 1:58 pm.
What happened to Dipke’s grandmother?
Dipke’s 85-year-old paternal grandmother, Savitribai Dipke, died on Saturday at Santuk Pimpri village in Maharashtra after a prolonged illness, ETV Bharat reported. Police informed Dipke in detention and offered him the choice of remaining detained or attending her last rites.
Sources
Every fact above was verified against October 10, 2026 reporting — NDTV’s live blog, ETV Bharat’s live blog (updated 3:41 pm IST) and The Indian Express (updated 3:26 pm IST). Related on GlobalDeskNews: Dipke, CJP leaders detained at Delhi airport · Dhruv Rathee detained in Gurugram · Delhi lockdown ahead of CJP’s Jantar Mantar protest · Rahul Gandhi detained at Jantar Mantar.