45 Delhi Metro stations shut as police deploy 35,000 personnel for Jantar Mantar protest

Entry and exit gates at 45 Delhi Metro stations, including Rajiv Chowk, New Delhi, Central Secretariat, Patel Chowk and Kashmere Gate, were closed on Saturday as authorities imposed an extensive security cordon around central Delhi ahead of a mass protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party at Jantar Mantar. The group is demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision exercise.

More than 35,000 security personnel were deployed across the capital, supported by drones, facial recognition systems and more than 300 CCTV cameras equipped with audio recording capability. Delhi Police, which denied permission for the demonstration citing a breach of past undertakings, also imposed internet curbs in parts of the city and cancelled trains bound for Delhi. Two stations on the Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor — Sarai Kale Khan and New Ashok Nagar — were shut until 10 pm.

YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, who had travelled from Germany earlier in the week and attended a CJP event in Bengaluru on 8 October, was detained by police at his residence in Sector 56, Gurugram. The CJP's legal head was also detained. Several prominent markets including Connaught Place, Palika Market, Khan Market and Janpath closed, with traders citing security concerns and the risk of disruption.