Jantar Mantar Protest: Around 700 Detained, Internet Suspended, Heavy Police Deployment
Hundreds gather at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi demanding the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC)
UdaipurTimes, Oct 2, 2026 - Hundreds of protestors gathered at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on October 2, 2026, demanding the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). The protestors included political and social activists, student groups and organisations and several Opposition parties including Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
As per the latest reports, around 700 protestors have been detained so far, including activist Yogendra Yadav, AISA's Neha Bora, CPM’s Brinda Karat, AAP’s Atishi, Sanjay Singh and Saurabh Bharadwaj.
Heavy security has been deployed at the Jantar Mantar with around 5,000 security personnel including the Rapid Action Forces (RAF) and paramilitary forces. Around 8-9 security zones have been created by the police to monitor the situation. Eleven Metro stations in Delhi have been shut because of the protest. Internet disruptions were reported around the protest site.
No permission has been granted so far for the protest, say police sources. Authorities have imposed Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in New Delhi and unauthorised gatherings have been prohibited. The march by the student unions, including All India Students' Association (AISA), Students' Federation of India (SFI) and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), has also not been given permission.
Meanwhile, the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has called a Jail Bharo simultaneous protest at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on October 2. Protestors have started gathering at the venue even as the police have denied permission for the demonstration in Mumbai, too.
The protestors have been demanding the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar since reports of alleged irregularities in the electoral process surfaced in a news report published by the Indian Express a few days earlier. The EC's handling of electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise have been slammed by activists and the Opposition.
