A planned protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has triggered a widening political confrontation, with Delhi Police detaining several opposition leaders and activists across the national capital and other cities. The detentions have prompted fresh criticism from Left leaders and protest organisers, who argue that restrictions on peaceful assembly risk undermining democratic rights.
Among those detained were former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby, senior Left leader Brinda Karat, Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas and former Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar. The detentions came as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and Left groups prepared to demonstrate against the Election Commission over concerns surrounding electoral processes.
‘Barricades Cannot Halt the March of Democracy’: Vijayan
Vijayan and Brittas issued a video statement following their detention, asserting that democracy was under attack.
“Barricades may block the streets, but they cannot halt the march of democracy. No force can silence the people determined to defend their democratic rights,” a post on Vijayan’s social media account read.
The statement framed the detentions as part of a broader concern over the space available for peaceful protest. The police action has placed the balance between public-order restrictions and citizens’ democratic freedoms at the centre of the political debate.
CJP convenor Abhijeet Dipke, along with party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, was detained by Delhi Police after their flight landed at Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport, according to NCP (SP) national spokesperson Anish Gawande, who was accompanying them.
Gawande said the three leaders were being taken to an undisclosed location within the airport. Their detention before they could reach the protest site intensified criticism from the party and its supporters.
The CJP also announced that its policy lead, Mehr, had been detained. The party criticised the police action in a social media post, saying, “India’s youth don’t deserve to be treated like this, we don’t deserve your dictatorship.”
The allegations reflect the protesters’ position; the circumstances and legal basis of the individual detentions remain important questions in assessing the police action.
Aishe Ghosh Detained Near Bangla Sahib
Aishe Ghosh, national joint secretary of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), was detained near Bangla Sahib Gurdwara in Delhi amid the protest-related police action.
“Shame on Modi-Shah, they are using the police against protesters. Let the world see what is happening,” Ghosh was heard saying.
The detention added to the list of student activists and political workers reportedly taken into custody as authorities tightened security around locations associated with the planned demonstration.
Security Tightened at Dipke’s Maharashtra Residence
Police security was also increased outside Dipke’s residence in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, amid developments in Delhi.
An official from the local police station said the deployment had been expanded in view of the situation in the national capital.
“Earlier, one guard was stationed at Dipke’s residence. Now the headquarters has deployed a team of 20 policemen considering the situation in New Delhi,” the official said.
The increased deployment extended the security response beyond Delhi as the protest and the detentions drew attention in other parts of the country.
Tushar Gandhi, Feroze Mithoborewala Detained in Mumbai
In Mumbai, social activists Tushar Gandhi and Feroze Mithoborewala were detained by police, according to organisers of a protest planned at August Kranti Maidan in solidarity with the Delhi demonstration.
Mumbai Police said permission had not been granted for the protest. The detentions highlighted how the dispute had spread beyond the national capital, with proposed demonstrations elsewhere also facing restrictions.
The detentions across Delhi and Mumbai have sharpened the confrontation between the authorities and groups seeking to protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The CJP and Left organisations have challenged the police response, while restrictions on demonstrations have become a focal point of opposition criticism.
