New Delhi is about to go partially offline. Mobile internet services across central Delhi will be suspended for a full 24 hours starting 10 pm on Friday, October 9 — a sweeping preventive measure ordered hours before the Cockroach Janata Party's (CJP) planned protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday. The Ministry of Home Affairs has approved the shutdown, and Delhi Police has already issued written directions to Airtel, Vodafone-Idea, Jio and MTNL to cut all mobile internet technologies within a 4-kilometre radius of the Janpath–Kartavya Path crossing.
The timing is hard to miss. The order landed on Friday evening, just hours after the Supreme Court publicly questioned the government over its unprecedented curbs on Delhi Metro and trains in the capital. "You can't use a sledgehammer to kill a fly," the court said, telling the Centre there cannot be a complete prohibition on metro and rail services. Now, with internet services added to the lockdown, central Delhi faces one of the tightest security squeezes the capital has seen in years.
Delhi internet suspension: 24 hours, 4-km radius, 10 pm to 10 pm
The order, issued on Friday evening by the office of the deputy commissioner of police (New Delhi), leaves little room for ambiguity. It states: "The Union Home Secretary has considered our request for suspending internet services under sub-rule (1) of Rule 3 of the Telecommunications (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024 read with Section 20(2)(b) of the Telecommunications Act 2023 to suspend mobile internet services (all technologies) at and around a radius of 04 kms from Janpath-Kartavya Path Crossing from 2200 Hrs. of 09/10/2026 to 2200 Hrs. of 10/10/2026."
In plain terms: every mobile internet technology — 4G, 5G, everything — goes dark within 4 kilometres of the Janpath–Kartavya Path crossing, from 10 pm Friday to 10 pm Saturday. That's a big circle. The area covers the seat of the Indian government — Parliament, ministries, the Kartavya Path ceremonial boulevard — and, crucially, Jantar Mantar, the capital's designated protest site where the CJP wants to gather on Saturday.
Delhi Police asked for the suspension, and the Home Ministry signed off. The instructions are explicit: telecom operators must "take all necessary steps to implement the above order immediately."
Supreme Court: "You can't use a sledgehammer to kill a fly"
The shutdown order arrived hours after an unusually sharp intervention from the country's top court. Hearing a petition against the closure of metro stations and cancellation of trains, the Supreme Court told the Centre there cannot be a complete prohibition on metro and other train services. "You can't use a sledgehammer to kill a fly," the court observed.
The bench — Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana — said law enforcement agencies were entitled to take regulatory measures, but drew a firm line at bringing the city to a halt. "If you wish to curb uncontrolled movement, you are free to do so. However, this does not mean you can bring everything to a halt and leave people without any means of transport," the court said. It also noted a basic reality of Delhi life: "Not everyone owns a car or has access to private transport. People rely on public transport."
The Chief Justice flagged the human cost directly. "We are primarily concerned about the complete closure of these metro station entrances," CJI Surya Kant told the Solicitor General. "Our concern is not about any specific protester or individual; rather, it is about the hundreds and thousands of commuters who travel to Delhi from Gurugram, Greater Noida, East Delhi, and South Delhi for their livelihoods." He added that young people and the elderly all travel, and "commuters have a right to basic facilities."
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta responded that he would consult the government and assured the court that proportionate measures would be taken. "Regarding railways and metro stations, I will go back to the government and proportionate measures will be taken," he told the bench. The court also said road closures needed reassessment, and that metro frequency could be reduced but services could not be stopped entirely.
The petition was filed by CPM general secretary M. A. Baby, with senior advocate and MP Kapil Sibal appearing for the petitioner. Sibal argued: "All trains are cancelled, Metro stations are closed. You cannot move anywhere. What is happening to my country? This is a peaceful protest."
The Solicitor General also referred to the last CJP protest in July and mentioned the violence during it — the context the government is leaning on for its heavy security posture.
Why Delhi is locking down: the CJP's October 10 protest
The Cockroach Janata Party, a satirical party that has drawn big Gen-Z crowds, has called a protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, October 10, pressing for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls — the "vote theft" allegation that has driven days of opposition agitation in Delhi.
Delhi Police has formally denied permission for the gathering, citing a late application, alleged past non-compliance with directions, and prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita in the New Delhi area. The internet suspension is the latest in a cascade of preventive measures: all retail liquor shops in Delhi were ordered shut for October 9–10, and Delhi Police proposed closing entry and exit at 57 metro stations from 9 pm Friday, with several trains to New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin cancelled. Around 23,000 security personnel are on alert, according to police deployment figures reported by NDTV.
It has happened before — and the radius keeps growing
This isn't Delhi's first protest-linked internet shutdown. Services were suspended for several days during the CJP's previous protest at Jantar Mantar against the NEET paper leaks in July. Back then, the radius was just 1.5 km. The new order covers more than twice the area — 4 km, which multiplies the affected zone roughly sevenfold.
The July experience offers a preview of what the next 24 hours might look like. Gen-Z protesters struggled to upload videos to social media and YouTube, and even mainstream media reportage was delayed because journalists couldn't file from the field. Police maintained then — as now — that the step was necessary to maintain law and order.
Why it matters
An internet shutdown in a national capital is never routine — and this one lands at a politically charged moment. The 24-hour blackout directly affects the government's own district, thousands of residents and commuters inside the 4-km zone, and every journalist trying to cover Saturday's protest. For the CJP's young supporters, who coordinate and broadcast on social media, it strikes at their main organizing tool — exactly as it did in July.
There's also the larger signal. India's courts have repeatedly stressed that internet suspensions must be proportionate and temporary. The Supreme Court's Friday remarks — questioning whether shutting down a city's transport over one protest is proportionate — now frame the internet order too. The government will have to defend why a 24-hour blackout across central Delhi was the least restrictive option available.
And there's the opposition dimension. The CJP protest is part of a wider agitation over the Election Commission — the same row that has seen INDIA-bloc MPs march to Rashtrapati Bhavan and opposition leaders detained. A blackout on protest day will inevitably be read, fairly or not, as an attempt to control what the rest of the country sees.
What happens next
The shutdown begins at 10 pm Friday and runs to 10 pm Saturday — squarely covering the CJP's protest day. The immediate question is whether the Solicitor General's assurance to the Supreme Court leads to a visible softening of the transport curbs by Saturday morning: fewer closed metro stations, restored train services, or a regulated-but-open Jantar Mantar.
The bigger test comes on Saturday itself. If the protest goes ahead despite the denied permission and the blackout, how police handle crowds in an information vacuum — with no live streams and delayed reporting — will shape the political narrative for days. Watch also for any fresh court intervention: the Supreme Court has already signalled it is watching the proportionality question closely.
For now, central Delhi braces for a strange Saturday: the seat of the world's largest democracy, partially disconnected from the internet, waiting to see who shows up at Jantar Mantar.
Key Takeaways
- Delhi's mobile internet will be suspended for 24 hours — 10 pm Friday, October 9, to 10 pm Saturday, October 10 — within a 4-km radius of the Janpath–Kartavya Path crossing.
- The Ministry of Home Affairs approved the shutdown; Delhi Police issued the order to Airtel, Vodafone-Idea, Jio and MTNL on Friday evening.
- All mobile internet technologies are covered, under the Telecommunications (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024.
- The order came hours after the Supreme Court said "you can't use a sledgehammer to kill a fly" and told the Centre there cannot be a complete prohibition on metro and train services.
- The shutdown targets the CJP's October 10 Jantar Mantar protest demanding the CEC's resignation — a gathering Delhi Police has denied permission for.
- A similar shutdown in July covered only 1.5 km; the new 4-km radius affects roughly seven times the area.
FAQs
Is the internet suspended in Delhi today?
Yes. Mobile internet services are being suspended within a 4-km radius of the Janpath–Kartavya Path crossing in New Delhi from 10 pm on Friday, October 9, until 10 pm on Saturday, October 10. The order, approved by the Ministry of Home Affairs, directs telecom operators to suspend all mobile internet technologies in the zone.
Why has Delhi suspended the internet for 24 hours?
The suspension is a preventive measure ahead of the Cockroach Janata Party's planned protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Delhi Police, which requested the shutdown, maintains the step is necessary to maintain law and order. Police has formally denied permission for the protest.
Which areas are affected by the Delhi internet shutdown?
All areas within a 4-kilometre radius of the Janpath–Kartavya Path crossing in central New Delhi. The zone includes the government district — Parliament, ministries, Kartavya Path — and Jantar Mantar, the capital's designated protest site.
What did the Supreme Court say about Delhi's curbs?
On Friday, the Supreme Court told the Centre that "you can't use a sledgehammer to kill a fly," ruling that there cannot be a complete prohibition on metro and train services. The bench, led by CJI Surya Kant, said commuters have a right to basic facilities and asked the government to reduce the number of closed metro stations. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta assured proportionate measures.
Has Delhi shut the internet for protests before?
Yes. Internet services were suspended for several days during the CJP's previous protest at Jantar Mantar over the NEET paper leaks in July. That shutdown covered a 1.5-km radius — less than half the area of the new order. It made it difficult for protesters to upload videos and delayed mainstream media reporting from the spot.
Are Delhi Metro and trains running on October 10?
Delhi Police proposed closing entry and exit at 57 metro stations from 9 pm Friday, and several trains to New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin have been cancelled. However, the Supreme Court said on Friday that frequency can be reduced but services cannot be completely stopped, and the Centre has assured it will reconsider the curbs. Check official DMRC and railway advisories before travelling.
What is the CJP's October 10 protest about?
The Cockroach Janata Party has called a protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10 to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls — the "vote theft" allegation behind days of opposition agitation in Delhi, including INDIA-bloc marches to Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Related stories
- Delhi Police Deny CJP Permission for Oct 10 Jantar Mantar Protest
- Delhi Metro May Close 57 Stations, Trains Cancelled Ahead of CJP Protest
- Delhi Liquor Shops Closed Oct 9-10 Ahead of CJP Protest
Sources
- NDTV — "Ahead Of CJP Protest, 24-Hour Internet Suspension Around Jantar Mantar" (09 Oct 2026): full report
- NDTV — "CJP Protest Delhi Curbs 'Can't Halt Everything': Top Court To Centre" (09 Oct 2026): full report
- NDTV Profit — "Internet Shutdown In Delhi! Mobile Data To Be Suspended Near Janpath Kartavya Path From 10 PM Tonight" (09 Oct 2026): full report
- Economic Times live blog — Delhi internet suspension reported via ANI (09 Oct 2026): live updates
By GlobalDeskNews Staff. All facts verified against the sources above on October 9, 2026. Quotes are verbatim and attributed.