Around 600 people have been arrested between the night of this Friday and the early morning of Saturday in New Delhi, as part of a preventive operation ahead of the massive protests expected for this Saturday by the Cockroach Party movement (CJP). The situation has also led to the cancellation of more than 250 trains and the closure of up to 45 metro stations in the Indian capital.
The organizers, who do not have official authorization as they have not met the administrative deadlines, have gathered near the historic observatory Jantar Mantar. Although there is still no definitive count of participants, the central government has deployed more than 20,000 police and armed forces agents to ensure public order, according to the Indian network NDTV.
In a statement released on social media, the security forces explained that their goal is to prevent protesters from accessing the New Delhi district and to quickly evacuate those who enter restricted areas.
To this end, the police have delineated an area of about 1.5 kilometers as a "high sensitivity zone," which includes key points such as Jantar Mantar, Janpath, the Electoral Commission office, and the headquarters of the Delhi Police. "More than 6,500 personnel will be deployed in this stretch, turning the area into a heavily guarded zone," an Indian security official has stated to this media.
At least seven barricades have been set up around Jantar Mantar along the access road to the protest site. Additionally, loudspeakers and announcements have been placed at various strategic points along the planned route, reminding citizens that the demonstration lacks permission.
The authorities have also strengthened surveillance at the main access points to the city, with additional vehicle checks and inspections in hotels, hostels, and shelters. Owners have been asked to inform the police if they suspect that any of their guests intend to join the mobilization.
MORE THAN 200 CONTENT CREATORS AND ACTIVISTS UNDER INVESTIGATION
At the same time, the security forces have conducted an extensive search on various social networks to locate profiles that promote participation in the protests. As a result, at least 200 content creators have come under investigation and the Police are analyzing their posts for messages linked to the mobilizations. Some of them have already been arrested.
Among those arrested is the well-known YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, detained by Delhi Police agents at his home in Gurugram, where a team of about 50 officers was deployed. Rathee, with 33 million subscribers on YouTube and famous for his criticisms of the Government of Narendra Modi, had announced that he would attend the protest in a video shared on social media on Friday night.
In this context, the legal representative of the Cockroach Party, Ratna Singh, has reported that several police officers showed up at her house and blocked her car "without offering explanations."
In relation to the CJP, the Police have also arrested the political activist Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the movement, and other prominent members, including Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, as soon as they landed on an Air India flight from Bombay.
Dipke live-streamed the police intervention on Instagram, in a video showing the officers entering the plane. "They could have waited for us to come out. Come arrest us, we are not afraid," the leader is heard saying, who was traveling to the capital to lead the march.
The three were taken from the airport to an undisclosed location. The CJP has condemned the operation and demanded their "immediate and unconditional" release, considering it an "authoritarian detention" aimed at preventing the organization of a peaceful protest.
The movement itself has released a previously recorded video in which Abhijeet informs of his detention and entrusts the task of leading the gathering at Jantar Mantar to the CJP's Organization officer, Ajinkya Shinde.
In this scenario, the Cockroach Party has also denounced the "shocking repression" throughout the territory of Delhi and has warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi that "the world (is) watching you while you shatter India's democracy."
"They are being detained by the Delhi Police just for doing their job," criticized the movement after the detention of investigative reporter Ayush Tiwari from the independent portal Scroll.in became known. A colleague recounted on social media how "he was put in a van and taken away." "He wasn't even at Jantar Mantar. He had his press card displayed properly," she explained.
The detentions occur after authorities rejected the request to hold the protest on Friday, claiming it was submitted late and citing security and procedural reasons.