Delhi locks down to bar cockroach entry: No internet, trains cancelled, metros shut ahead of protest

The administration in Delhi has enforced sweeping security and transport restrictions ahead of the CJP protest in the national capital on October 10. Reacting to the measures, CJP leaders accused the government of intimidating protesters, while police cited law and order concerns and a late permission request.

In Short

• Delhi Police has sought closure of 57 Metro stations ahead of CJP's protest
• Around 25,000 CAPF personnel have been mobilised for October 10 protest
• CJP leaders accuse government of intimidation as police deny protest nod

With trains to two of Delhi's main railway stations cancelled, 57 metro stations set to shut from 9 pm tonight, the internet curbed, nearly 25,000 security personnel being deployed, and restrictions imposed on app-based cabs, the national capital is bracing for the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) October 10 protest demanding Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. The scale of the preparations has prompted CJP leaders to accuse the government of intimidating protesters, even as Delhi Police says the measures are necessary to maintain law and order.

CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka have accused the authorities of attempting to prevent youth from joining the protest in Delhi. Sharing a video showing Delhi Police and other security personnel preparing for the demonstration, CJP co-convener Saurav Das wrote on X, "Like I said, the Government of India is at war with its own citizens. The visual here proves it."

Delhi is preparing for a day of extraordinary security arrangements ahead of the planned CJP protest at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Saturday (October 10), with the restrictions extending beyond the protest venue to public transport, hotels, roads and parts of the capital's commercial districts. The preparations also follow days-long street protests by Congress leaders and members of the Youth Congress and the National Students' Union of India (NSUI).

Delhi Police has denied permission for the October 10 demonstration, citing prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). Joint Commissioner Nupur Prasad said CJP co-convener Saurav Das submitted the application on Wednesday, whereas the guidelines require organisers to seek permission at least 10 days in advance, according to a report by India Today TV's Himanshu Mishra.

The Delhi Police Special Cell has issued orders to suspend internet services within a 4-kilometre radius of the Jantar Mantar area, with approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs for the temporary suspension. The restriction will cover the area around the Janpath-Kartavya Path crossing in Central Delhi and will remain in effect from 10 pm on October 9 to 10 pm on October 10, reported India Today TV's Jitendra Bahadur Singh.

TRAIN, METRO SERVICES PAUSED, 25K CAPF PERSONNEL DEPLOYED IN DELHI

According to India Today TV's Piyush Mishra and Sushant Mehra, mail and express trains scheduled to arrive at New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations between 4 am and 2 pm on October 10 are being cancelled at their origin stations. The cancellations apply to trains departing after 2 pm on October 9, with officials citing the prospect of severe congestion and blocked roads around the stations.

Delhi Police has also asked the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to close entry and exit gates at 57 Metro stations from 9 pm on Friday and consider reducing train frequency on Saturday, according to PTI. The proposed restrictions are intended to prevent large crowds from moving towards sensitive locations in central Delhi.

The security build-up includes 221 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), amounting to around 25,000 personnel made available to Delhi Police between October 8 and 12. Police have also prepared detention facilities, identified road-blocking points and coordinated with transport and accommodation providers as they prepare for the protest, reported The Indian Express newspaper.

The protest, called by the CJP and the All India Students' Association (AISA), aims at demanding Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over the alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The organisers have accused the Election Commission of enabling the deletion of voters' names, allegations that have become a flashpoint in the wider political confrontation over the revision exercise.

HOTELS, BUSINESSES ON ALERT; SCHOOLS, COLLEGES MOVE ONLINE

According to The Indian Express, the police are coordinating with cab aggregators like Uber and Ola to curb movement towards central parts of Delhi. The newspaper also noted that OYO, hotels are asked to stop fresh bookings.

The New Delhi Traders Association (NDTA) advised all shops, offices, restaurants and other establishments in Connaught Place to remain closed on October 10 as a precautionary measure amid the expected protests.

In an advisory issued on October 9, NDTA President Atul Bhargava urged establishment owners and occupiers to remain vigilant and cooperate with the authorities to prevent any untoward incident and avoid potential loss of property or injury.

Several Delhi schools and colleges have shifted classes online, rescheduled parent-teacher meetings and postponed examinations scheduled for October 10 amid security concerns and metro disruptions ahead of a proposed CJP protest.

The Supreme Court on Friday expressed serious reservations about Delhi Police's decision to direct the Delhi Metro to shut down 57 stations on Saturday.

GOVERNMENT AT WAR WITH ITS OWN CITIZENS, SAYS CJP

CJP leaders have accused the authorities of attempting to prevent people from joining the protest.

CJP founder and convener Abhijeet Dipke alleged that thousands of young people had been detained across the country ahead of the protest. In a post on X, he said the intimidation would not deter the movement and declared that he would travel to Delhi and march to Jantar Mantar despite the denial of permission.

"We will march to Jantar Mantar come what may," Dipke wrote on X on Friday.

CJP co-convener Ashutosh Ranka appealed to police personnel not to use force against students and young protesters, invoking the principles of Mahatma Gandhi and BR Ambedkar. He said the "movement believed in non-violence and the Constitution" and urged officers to "consider how their actions would be remembered."

The CJP leadership has also made allegations that the police have set up 10 mass-detention centres in Delhi, which it claimed were aimed at intimidation.

The police have maintained that the restrictions are intended to prevent disorder and protect sensitive locations. Its refusal to grant permission means the organisers face the prospect of police intervention if they attempt to assemble or march in violation of the prohibitory orders.

- Ends
(With inputs from Himanshu Mishra, Piyush Mishra and Sushant Mehra)