Delhi Lockdown: CJP's Jantar Mantar Protest Goes Ahead Today

Quick Answer: Delhi woke up to lockdown-like restrictions on Saturday, October 10, as the Cockroach Janta Party pressed ahead with its banned "Jantar Mantar 2.0" march demanding the Chief Election Commissioner's resignation. Police shut 45 metro stations, cancelled more than 250 trains, suspended mobile internet around the protest site and deployed up to 25,000 personnel across the capital.

By GlobalDeskNews Staff | New Delhi | October 10, 2026

India's capital woke up on Saturday to something that looked a lot like a lockdown. Barricades on the roads, shuttered metro gates, cancelled trains and drones in the sky — all to stop a protest that the police had already refused to allow.

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a small opposition outfit, pushed ahead with its planned "Jantar Mantar 2.0" march to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Founder Abhijeet Dipke left Mumbai on Saturday morning for Delhi, where he was expected to arrive around 10 am, while the party announced on X that "Jantar Mantar 2.0 has begun."

What unfolded in Delhi on Saturday morning was less a protest than a standoff — and the scale of the security response has already drawn questions, including from the Supreme Court.

The lockdown, in numbers

The restrictions, according to News18 and NDTV's live coverage, were sweeping:

45 metro stations shut: Entry and exit gates at 45 Delhi Metro stations — including Rajiv Chowk, New Delhi, Central Secretariat, Patel Chowk and Kashmere Gate — were closed from 9 pm Friday until 6 pm Saturday. Interchange facilities remained available at all affected stations except New Delhi, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said.
250+ trains cancelled: More than 250 trains connected to New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations were cancelled, covering trains departing their origin stations after 2 pm Friday and those due to arrive between 4 am and 2 pm Saturday, as well as outbound and local services. The Indian Express reported at least 245 cancellations, with two trains rescheduled and nine short-terminated or short-originated.
Internet cut: Mobile internet was suspended within a four-kilometre radius of the Janpath–Kartavya Path crossing in central Delhi from 10 pm Friday to 10 pm Saturday, after approval from the Union Home Ministry. Services elsewhere in the city were unaffected.
25,000 personnel: News18 reported roughly 25,000 police and paramilitary personnel deployed; NDTV put the figure above 20,000, while the Hindustan Times reported about 26,000 Central Armed Police Forces personnel on duty until Monday, including at least five all-women companies. New Delhi district was divided into 20 security zones, with more than 120 CAPF companies assisting Delhi Police.
37 blocking points across New Delhi district, detention centres set up in all 15 districts, and around 30 to 40 people with criminal records detained preventively, according to police sources quoted by PTI.

Rapid Action Force (RAF) units were stationed at Firoz Shah Road near Mandi House, the Delhi Police's Pink Force was deployed following recent incidents of misbehaviour with women police personnel, and drones monitored the roundabout near Hotel Le Méridien, ANI reported. Heavy security was also visible at the capital's borders — Chilla, Apsara and Tikri — and liquor shops across Delhi stayed shut for a second day (read our earlier report on the closure order).

Why the police said no

Delhi Police denied permission for the march on Friday. Joint Commissioner Nupur Prasad said the CJP's application was received on October 7 — just three days before the proposed protest — while the rules require at least 10 days' notice for Jantar Mantar events. She also cited alleged violations of lawful directions during an earlier CJP protest and the prevailing public-order situation.

In a letter to the party's leadership, the Deputy Commissioner of Police for New Delhi district said granting permission could lead to "serious" law-and-order problems, Outlook's live blog reported. Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) remained in force across central Delhi, and traffic diversions were planned at 30 key points from 6 am, including around Connaught Place, Mandi House, Patel Chowk and Jantar Mantar.

The Union Home Ministry went further, writing to all state police chiefs to coordinate with Delhi Police and prevent "unauthorised entry from various states/UTs into Delhi to disturb public peace and order." News18 reported that authorities were monitoring social-media mobilisation, with more than 200 content creators said to be under scrutiny, and that police were appealing for calm through announcements at mosques and temples.

The Supreme Court pushed back on the scale

The restrictions didn't go unquestioned. The Supreme Court took note of the sweeping measures and urged authorities to adopt proportionate steps and avoid disrupting public transport for ordinary commuters, Outlook reported.

The court intervened specifically on the metro shutdown: the original plan was to close entry and exit at 57 stations, but after the court's directive, the number was revised to 45, with interchange facilities preserved. Some rail services were also restored rather than cancelled outright.

That tension — between the state's security logic and the court's proportionality test — is likely to shape how today's events are judged politically.

Dipke: "I will not be cowed down"

The CJP showed no sign of backing down. In a video message released late Friday night, Dipke said Saturday's march should go ahead even if he was detained on arrival.

"Tomorrow is our march," he said. "I will not be cowed down because we want to save the democracy in the country. I am not scared even if I am detained," adding that the government could "slap us with NSA or UAPA" — a reference to India's stringent national-security laws.

Dipke, co-convenor Saurav Das and leader Ashutosh Ranka were expected at Delhi airport on Saturday morning to lead the march. Asked about the disruption the curbs themselves were causing, Dipke turned the question back on the authorities: "On the one hand, you say protests will lead to inconvenience. On the other hand, you have shut down the Metro, railways and blocked roads. Will this not lead to inconvenience?"

Supporters say they were stopped en route

Even before Saturday dawned, the CJP alleged that its supporters were being intercepted on their way to the capital. The party claimed that 15 to 30 supporters travelling from Pune were forced to deboard the Goa Express at Itarsi Junction in Madhya Pradesh and detained, and that activists from West Bengal, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh were also stopped. It further alleged that its spokesperson Deepak Baliyan and his brother were assaulted in Rajasthan.

GlobalDeskNews could not independently verify these claims; they are presented here as the party's allegations. The CJP has demanded the release of those detained and safe passage for supporters travelling to Delhi.

Passengers caught in the crossfire of the restrictions included travellers from Jammu and Katra, where four trains were cancelled at short notice on Friday because of anticipated congestion around the capital's stations, Outlook's live blog reported.

Who's backing the march — and who isn't

The protest is backed by a cluster of student organisations — the Students' Federation of India (SFI), the All India Students' Federation (AISF), the All India Students' Association (AISA), the Progressive Students' Union (PSU) and the All India Students' Bloc (AISB) — along with the Aam Aadmi Party's student outfit, the Association of Students for Alternative Politics (ASAP). AISA national president Neha Bora was among those leading the mobilisation.

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said he would attend with his family, and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh was also expected to join, according to Outlook. Actor Prakash Raj had appeared at a CJP-linked protest in Bengaluru earlier in the week demanding the election chief's resignation.

On the other side, West Bengal minister Dilip Ghosh told ANI that attempts to "create a disturbance" in Delhi could inconvenience the public, while insisting that nobody was prohibited from protesting in a democracy — but that attempts to disrupt law and order "must be stopped."

The CEC fight behind the march

The CJP march is the latest flare-up in a weeks-long confrontation over the Election Commission's voter-roll revision, which the opposition brands "vote chori" (vote theft). The arc has already produced detentions of top opposition leaders, an INDIA-bloc march to Rajghat and a sit-in at the Gandhi Memorial — developments covered in our earlier reports (Rahul Gandhi detained at Jantar Mantar, INDIA bloc protest day 3, Rajghat sit-in).

The opposition wants CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation; the poll panel and the government have rejected the allegations. Saturday's showdown is, in effect, the street-level chapter of that fight.

Why it matters

This isn't just about one march. The sheer scale of the preventive apparatus — metro stations shut, hundreds of trains cancelled, internet suspended, an inter-state advisory — for a protest by a small party raises hard questions about proportionality that the Supreme Court has already flagged. Whatever happens at Jantar Mantar today will set the tone for how dissent is policed in the capital through the rest of the election season.

For commuters, the day is already a write-off in parts of central Delhi. For the opposition, a march that gets through would be a morale boost after a week of detentions. For the government, keeping the peace without fresh images of confrontation is the immediate test.

What happens next

All eyes are on the next few hours. Dipke is due in Delhi around 10 am; whether he and his supporters can reach Jantar Mantar through the 37 blocking points will decide whether "Jantar Mantar 2.0" becomes a real gathering or a series of detentions. Police have said any violation of the prohibitory orders will invite legal action.

Beyond today, the legal questions — the Supreme Court's proportionality concerns, the MHA's inter-state advisory, the CJP's detention claims — are likely to spill into courtrooms and Parliament. GlobalDeskNews will update this story as the day develops.

Key Takeaways

Delhi woke to lockdown-like curbs on October 10 as the CJP pressed ahead with its banned "Jantar Mantar 2.0" march demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation.
45 metro stations shut their entry/exit gates, 250+ trains were cancelled and mobile internet was suspended within 4 km of the protest site.
Up to 25,000 police and paramilitary personnel were deployed, with 37 blocking points, detention centres in all 15 districts and drones in the sky.
Police denied permission citing a 10-day notice rule; the CJP's application arrived on October 7. Prohibitory orders under BNSS Section 163 are in force.
The Supreme Court pushed back on the scale of the curbs, forcing the metro closure down from 57 stations and urging proportionate measures.
Founder Abhijeet Dipke vowed the march would go ahead even if he is detained, saying he was "not scared" of the NSA or UAPA.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Delhi under lockdown-like restrictions today?

The Cockroach Janta Party called a march to Jantar Mantar on October 10 demanding the Chief Election Commissioner's resignation over the voter-roll revision. Delhi Police refused permission, then imposed sweeping preventive curbs — metro closures, train cancellations, internet suspension and heavy deployment — to stop protesters reaching central Delhi.

Is the CJP protest allowed to go ahead?

No. Delhi Police formally denied permission, saying the application came on October 7, just three days before the event, while rules require 10 days' notice for Jantar Mantar. Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita are in force across central Delhi, and police warned that violations would invite legal action.

Which Delhi Metro stations are closed today?

Entry and exit gates at 45 stations — including Rajiv Chowk, New Delhi, Central Secretariat, Patel Chowk and Kashmere Gate — are closed from 9 pm Friday to 6 pm Saturday. Interchange remains available at all affected stations except New Delhi. The list was cut from 57 after the Supreme Court told authorities to keep measures proportionate.

Are trains running in Delhi today?

Services are heavily disrupted. More than 250 trains connected to New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations were cancelled, mostly those arriving between 4 am and 2 pm Saturday. Passengers were advised to check with the railways before travelling and allow extra time for journeys to stations and the airport.

Who is Abhijeet Dipke?

Abhijeet Dipke is the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, the small opposition outfit behind the October 10 Jantar Mantar march. He has positioned the party as a voice against the Election Commission's voter-roll revision and said he is prepared to be detained — even under national-security laws — rather than call the protest off.

What is the SIR "vote chori" row about?

SIR stands for the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls being carried out by the Election Commission. Opposition parties allege large-scale irregularities and deletions in the revision — which they call "vote chori" (vote theft) — and want CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. The Commission and the government reject the allegations.