Police have detained Abhijit Deepak, founder of India’s Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), along with two other party leaders, Saurabh Das and Ashutosh Ranka, at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) in Delhi on Saturday, October 10.
The three leaders had arrived in the capital to participate in a planned protest at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Before travelling to Delhi, Deepak had said he was prepared to be arrested while taking part in the demonstration. He also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of using security restrictions to prevent ordinary citizens from joining the protest.
Deepak questioned the deployment of large numbers of security personnel and the restrictions imposed on public movement. He alleged that the government was afraid of young people and ordinary citizens speaking out against its actions.
Ahead of the CJP’s planned demonstration, Delhi Police intensified security arrangements across the capital. The protest was called to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
According to police sources, at least 600 people have been detained under Section 65 of the Delhi Police Act. Surveillance has been stepped up in several parts of the capital to prevent any untoward incidents surrounding the demonstration.
Strict traffic restrictions came into effect on several Delhi roads from 6 a.m. on Saturday. Traffic diversions were planned at multiple key locations, while police personnel were deployed at barricades and major intersections to inspect vehicles and monitor public movement.
Alongside the heightened security measures, restrictions on metro services, the cancellation of several trains and the suspension of mobile internet services in certain parts of the capital have also reportedly been implemented.
*Source: The Times of India*
