Delhi on Edge: Anti-CEC Protest Erupts as CJP’s Ajinkya Shinde Takes Charge; Mamata Banerjee Detained

New Delhi, October 10:

Tensions escalated across the national capital on Saturday as a major protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar faced a police crackdown. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which planned a demonstration at Jantar Mantar, named Ajinkya Shinde to lead the agitation after its founder, Abhijeet Dipke, and fellow leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained by Delhi Police upon arriving at the airport.

The protest centres on allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with demonstrators demanding the CEC’s resignation. The Election Commission’s handling of voter-list revisions has come under intense political scrutiny, while authorities have cited security and permission-related concerns surrounding the planned gathering.

CJP Leadership Hit by Detentions

The detention of the party’s top leaders triggered a major leadership change within the protest movement. In a pre-recorded video, Dipke named Ajinkya Shinde as the person responsible for leading the demonstration until the detained leaders are released. The development has added another flashpoint to an already tense political confrontation in Delhi.

Mamata Banerjee Also Detained West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was also reported to have been detained by Delhi Police amid the anti-CEC protest, according to media reports. Trinamool Congress leaders were among those involved in the broader political confrontation over the Election Commission and the electoral-roll revision exercise.

Delhi Under Tight Security

 The national capital witnessed extensive security arrangements, restrictions on movement and detentions ahead of the proposed demonstration. Police denied permission for the CJP protest at Jantar Mantar, while restrictions and traffic-management measures affected parts of the city. The scale of the operation has intensified the debate over public-order requirements and the right to peaceful protest.

The unfolding developments have put the Election Commission, the Delhi Police and opposition leaders under renewed public scrutiny. Further clarity is awaited on the status of those detained and the next steps in the protest movement.