Delhi Protest Today: Dhruv Rathee Detained Over CEC Row

Delhi on High Alert as Protest Against CEC Gyanesh Kumar Begins

Updated 10 October 2026

Delhi is under heavy security today. A protest at Jantar Mantar is demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. Police have detained hundreds of people, including some well-known faces.

What Is the Protest About?

The protest was called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a youth movement. Student and political groups, including AISA, have also joined, citing irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Critics say the voter-list revision favours the ruling BJP. The Election Commission has not accepted this view in the reports we reviewed.

Dhruv Rathee Detained in Gurugram

YouTuber and commentator Dhruv Rathee was due to take part in the protest. Reports say about 50 police personnel reached his home in Sector 56, Gurugram, and detained him. He had joined a similar protest in Bengaluru a day earlier.

CJP Leaders Stopped at the Airport

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and two other party leaders were detained after landing in Delhi. Their detention removed several of the protest’s main organisers before it began.

A City Under Lockdown

Authorities have taken wide-ranging steps to stop crowds from gathering:

Permission denied: Delhi Police refused permission for the Jantar Mantar demonstration, citing security and procedural reasons. Mass detentions: Delhi Police said at least 500 people had been detained so far this morning. Police sources also said over 600 people with criminal records were taken in earlier as a preventive step. Heavy deployment: Thousands of security personnel are patrolling the capital, and travel and telecom links have been suspended.

Drone surveillance: Police are using drones to track people trying to reach the protest site.

Opposition Reaction

Protest supporters have accused the Centre of turning Delhi into a “cantonment” to protect the CEC. Opposition parties have criticised the crackdown, and the police have not yet responded in detail to these charges.

Why This Matters

Voter-list accuracy is central to trust in elections. Whatever one’s political view, the right to protest peacefully and the duty of the state to maintain order are both important. This story is moving fast, so details may change through the day.