The Cockroach Janta Party isn’t done. Hours after one of the largest detention drives Delhi has seen in years, the youth-led movement announced it will march on Jantar Mantar again on Sunday, October 11 — and keep marching every day until Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resigns. The CJP Sunday Jantar Mantar march call sets up a second straight day of confrontation in the capital.
Ajinkya Shinde, the CJP organisation in-charge handed the movement’s reins by detained founder Abhijeet Dipke, made the announcement at a press conference on Saturday evening. Protesters will march toward Jantar Mantar at 10 am on Sunday, he said, vowing the agitation would continue “until Gyanesh Kumar resigns.” In a post on X, the party was blunter: “We’re not backing down! We will march to Jantar Mantar again tomorrow and stay there until all our demands are met.”
CJP announces Sunday Jantar Mantar march after Saturday crackdown
Saturday’s protest never reached its destination. With Jantar Mantar sealed off and central Delhi turned into a fortress, no protester was allowed near the demonstration site, according to The Indian Express. Activists briefly urged supporters to regroup at Dilli Haat instead. Police moved fast everywhere else: detentions were reported at Connaught Place, INA Market, and across the New Delhi district, while hundreds were herded into a makeshift holding centre at Chhatrasal Stadium in Model Town.
The evening press conference — addressed jointly by CJP, SFI and AISF members — was the movement’s answer. With Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka still in custody after being detained inside their aircraft on landing in Delhi, Shinde said the protest would go on with or without its top leadership. Student groups backed him: the Students’ Federation of India signalled that demonstrations would spread to different parts of the country from Sunday.
Detention tally climbs through Saturday evening
Just how many people were picked up on Saturday depends on who’s counting. A senior Delhi Police officer put the figure at “over 5,000 protesters” detained across the capital. The Indian Express, tracking the crackdown through the day, reported around 6,000 detained by 7 pm. Evening tallies cited elsewhere ran as high as 7,000, including at least 1,200 picked up overnight before the protest even began.
The net caught big names. Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was detained with Trinamool MPs outside her Delhi residence. Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was detained near Jantar Mantar along with AAP’s Saurabh Bharadwaj. Former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan was taken to Chhatrasal Stadium. CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby, Brinda Karat, activist Yogendra Yadav, lawyer Prashant Bhushan and AISA president Neha Bora were all detained at various points. YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, who has about 33 million YouTube subscribers, was picked up from a flat in Gurugram’s Sector 56. In Mumbai, police shut August Kranti Maidan and detained hundreds, including Tushar Gandhi, actor Imran Khan and Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Varun Sardesai. AAP’s Manish Sisodia was detained by Punjab police in Chandigarh.
UN Human Rights office raises concern over mass detentions
The crackdown drew an unusually swift international response. The UN Human Rights office said it was concerned by reports of mass detentions of demonstrators, protest leaders, civil society members, lawyers and journalists before and during the day’s large-scale demonstrations in Delhi, and called on Indian authorities to ensure the right to peaceful assembly is fully respected.
The statement landed Saturday evening, hours after Rahul Gandhi released a video urging the capital’s youth to “keep protesting” — “we are proud of you.” Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta hit back, declaring the capital “will not be held hostage” and calling the CJP the Congress and AAP’s “B-Team”.
Supreme Court sets special Sunday hearing on contempt plea
The legal fight is moving just as fast as the street fight. The Supreme Court has fixed a special hearing on Sunday, October 11, on a contempt petition challenging the blanket shutdown of Delhi’s public transport during the protest. A bench of Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana will preside, The Hindu reported.
The plea, filed on Saturday by advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi through advocate Chand Qureshi, names Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar and DMRC chairperson D Thara as respondents. It alleges “wilful disobedience” of the court’s October 9 order, in which a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant told the Centre there must be no “complete prohibition” of metro and train movement into Delhi — regulation, not a shutdown.
The shutdown went ahead anyway: entry and exit gates at 45 metro stations stayed closed through Saturday — the DMRC extended the closure till 10 pm — and Delhi-bound trains were cancelled. The petition seeks an urgent direction to revoke the blanket restrictions.
Releases begin, but CJP leaders still held
By Saturday evening, Delhi Police said the process of releasing detained protesters had begun, with women protesters and senior citizens being freed first. Neha Bora was released from Maidan Garhi police station in the evening. But the top CJP leadership remained in custody, with the party saying it had no information on the whereabouts of Dipke, Das and Ranka after their morning detention.
CJP’s legal affairs head Ratna Singh said she was still detained late into the evening — “since 9AM,” she posted — and the Delhi High Court rejected her plea seeking an FIR against police officers over her confinement. Two Delhi Police personnel, including a Pink Force member, were injured during detentions in the New Delhi district, according to a senior officer.
Why it matters
Saturday was supposed to be the climax; instead it looks like the opening act. A movement that began as a Gen-Z internet joke has forced a near-lockdown of the capital, drawn a UN rebuke, and pushed the Supreme Court into a rare Sunday sitting. The CJP’s demand — the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, which the Election Commission denies — has become the single biggest opposition rallying point in the country, pulling in the Congress, AAP, the Left and the INDIA bloc.
The contempt hearing gives the confrontation a second front. If the court finds the shutdown violated its orders, the political cost for the Centre and Delhi Police could dwarf the street battle. And with detentions running into the thousands, every release — or non-release — overnight becomes a fresh trigger.
What happens next
Sunday is loaded: the CJP’s 10 am march to Jantar Mantar will test whether Delhi Police can seal the capital a second day running. The Supreme Court’s special hearing will decide whether the transport shutdown stays or goes. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has set his own deadline: he said he could begin a hunger strike or a padyatra if the detainees are not freed by Sunday. And the INDIA bloc, with Mamata Banerjee announcing she will not return to Kolkata, is planning a march on Monday. One way or another, this story isn’t cooling down.
Key Takeaways
- The CJP has called a fresh march to Jantar Mantar for Sunday, October 11 at 10 am, vowing daily protests until CEC Gyanesh Kumar resigns.
- Saturday’s detention tally ran from over 5,000 (police) to around 6,000–7,000 (media counts), including at least 1,200 picked up overnight.
- The UN Human Rights office expressed concern over the mass detentions and called for the right to peaceful assembly to be respected.
- The Supreme Court will hold a special Sunday hearing on a contempt plea alleging its October 9 order against a blanket transport shutdown was violated.
- Releases began Saturday evening, but CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and two top aides remained in custody, with the party saying it didn’t know where they were being held.
- Sonam Wangchuk set a Sunday deadline for the detainees’ release, threatening a hunger strike or padyatra; the INDIA bloc plans a Monday march.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the CJP announce on Saturday evening?
At a joint press conference with student groups, CJP organisation in-charge Ajinkya Shinde announced protesters would march to Jantar Mantar again on Sunday, October 11 at 10 am. The party vowed to continue marching every day until Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resigns over alleged electoral-roll irregularities, which the Election Commission denies.
How many people were detained during Saturday’s protest?
Estimates vary. Delhi Police put the figure at over 5,000 detained across the capital. The Indian Express reported around 6,000 detained by 7 pm, while other evening tallies ran as high as 7,000. Police sources said at least 1,200 people were detained overnight before the demonstration began, and no protester was allowed to reach Jantar Mantar.
What did the UN Human Rights office say about the Delhi detentions?
The UN Human Rights office said it was concerned by reports of mass detentions of demonstrators, protest leaders, civil society members, lawyers and journalists before and during Saturday’s large-scale demonstrations in Delhi. It called on Indian authorities to ensure the right to peaceful assembly is fully respected and fulfilled.
Why is the Supreme Court holding a special hearing on Sunday?
The court will hear a contempt plea alleging authorities defied its October 9 order barring a “complete prohibition” of metro and train movement into Delhi. The plea says 45 metro stations stayed shut and trains were cancelled anyway. A bench of Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana will preside.
Are the detained CJP leaders still in custody?
As of Saturday night, yes. Founder Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka remained detained after being picked up inside their aircraft on landing in Delhi. The party alleged it had no information about where they were being held. Police said releases had begun for other detainees, starting with women and senior citizens.
What happens next in the CJP protest standoff?
Sunday brings the CJP’s 10 am march to Jantar Mantar and the Supreme Court’s special contempt hearing. Activist Sonam Wangchuk has threatened a hunger strike or padyatra if detainees aren’t freed by Sunday, student groups plan to take protests nationwide, and the INDIA bloc is organising a march on Monday with Mamata Banerjee.
Related on GlobalDeskNews: Over 3,000 Detained as CJP Delhi Protest Spreads to Mumbai • 2,000 Detained as CJP Delhi Protest Turns Violent • CJI Intervenes to Free Lawyers Detained at Supreme Court
Sources
- The Hindu — “Anti-CEC protest LIVE updates” — thehindu.com
- The Indian Express — “Delhi CJP Protest Live Updates” — indianexpress.com
- Firstpost — “CJP Delhi Protest Live Updates” — firstpost.com
- ABP Live — “‘We’re Not Backing Down’: CJP Protesters To Return To Delhi’s Jantar Mantar On Sunday” — news.abplive.com
- Hindustan Times — “Contempt plea in SC over Delhi Metro, rail curbs; home secretary, Delhi Police chief named” — hindustantimes.com
By GlobalDeskNews Staff | October 10, 2026