Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has criticised the Centre for imposing strict security restrictions and deploying a large number of police personnel across Delhi ahead of the Cockroach Janata Party's (CJP) planned protest at Jantar Mantar. He accused the authorities of “completely shackling freedom of movement”. The CJP organised the protest to oppose the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The party has demanded Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over alleged irregularities in the voter list revision process. Meanwhile, police detained several prominent CJP leaders, including Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. Officers also detained hundreds of protesters and journalists who attempted to gather in central Delhi.

Tharoor Slams Centre Over Heavy Police Deployment in Delhi

Tharoor said he arrived in the national capital shortly after 2 am on Saturday. He criticised the Centre for deploying 22,000 police and paramilitary personnel across the city. Furthermore, he highlighted reports of 250 cancelled train services, the closure of 45 metro stations and the detention of young people from their homes and streets. He also pointed to checkpoints every few hundred metres, concrete barricades and spike strips placed across roads. Tharoor said he had “rarely seen anything like this in Delhi”. He accused the authorities of trying “to prevent citizens from peacefully raising questions about the integrity of our elections”. He also raised concerns about the reported suspension of internet services in central Delhi. “Most regressive (as well as repressive) is the suspension of the internet in the heart of the national capital,” he added. Moreover, Tharoor argued that the restrictions had severely curtailed people's freedom of movement. He noted that authorities had blocked roads leading to Jantar Mantar, a designated venue for public protests. “Freedom of movement stands completely shackled. Jantar Mantar was designated precisely so that citizens could voice dissent in the centre of Delhi, and today even the roads leading to it have been declared out of bounds. One is entitled to ask where this extraordinary manpower and urgency disappear when women in our capital need protection, “Those detained will have to be released .And if the protesters simply return on Monday, will the authorities lock down the national capital all over again? Our GenZ deserves better than an undeclared Emer-GenZ,” Tharoor wrote.

Tharoor Urges Election Commission to Address SIR Allegations

Tharoor also expressed concern over allegations that the Election Commission's SIR exercise could disenfranchise large numbers of voters. He argued that a government confident in the fairness of the electoral process should welcome questions about it. Instead, he said, turning the national capital into a fortress to prevent public scrutiny only “deepens the very suspicions it seeks to suppress”. “The government should provide answers, not lathis; expression, not repression,” he said. The Congress MP further maintained that barricades and police deployments would not restore public confidence in the Election Commission. He urged the authorities to address voters' concerns and provide transparent answers to ease tensions. “The strength of a democracy is measured by how it treats those who question its working, and by that measure, what we have seen today is utterly shameful and unconscionable,” the Congress MP added.

Delhi Police Tighten Security Ahead of CJP Protest

According to the report, authorities deployed more than 40,000 Delhi Police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) personnel in New Delhi. The extensive deployment placed large parts of the capital under tight security ahead of the planned demonstration. Police detained opposition leaders, journalists, CJP members and other demonstrators. Those detained reportedly included Ratna Singh, MA Baby, Pinarayi Vijayan and John Brittas, among others. In addition, police sealed Jantar Mantar and barricaded roads leading to the protest venue. Loudspeakers at three major entry and exit points broadcast warnings in Hindi and English. The announcements cautioned people against gatherings, processions, road blockades and other restricted activities under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

Police Detain CJP Leaders After Mumbai-Delhi Flight

Police detained Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka after they arrived in Delhi on a flight from Mumbai. Authorities subsequently took the three leaders to undisclosed locations. Before the detentions, Dipke recorded a message that the CJP shared on its official X account. In the message, he urged supporters to follow Ajinkya Shinde, the group's organisation in-charge. Shinde is now expected to lead the protest movement. Meanwhile, All India Students' Association (AISA) national president Neha Bora urged protesters to gather at Dilli Haat instead of Jantar Mantar. She made the appeal after police restricted access to the planned protest venue and nearby roads.