Police have detained Abhijit Deepak, founder of India’s Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), along with two other party leaders at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on Saturday.
The two other leaders detained were Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. They had arrived in the capital to join a planned protest at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Before travelling to Delhi, Deepak had said he was prepared to be arrested while participating in the demonstration. He also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of attempting to prevent ordinary people from joining protests through security restrictions.
Deepak questioned the extensive deployment of security personnel and restrictions on public movement, alleging that the government was afraid of young people and ordinary citizens speaking out against its actions.
Ahead of the CJP’s planned demonstration, Delhi Police tightened security across the capital. The protest was called to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
At least 600 people have been detained under Section 65 of the Delhi Police Act. Surveillance has also been stepped up in several parts of the capital to prevent any untoward incidents during the demonstration.
Strict traffic restrictions came into effect on several Delhi roads from 6:00 am on Saturday, with plans to divert traffic at a number of key locations. Police personnel have been deployed at barricades and major junctions to check vehicles and monitor public movement.
Alongside the heightened security measures, restrictions on metro services, the cancellation of several trains and the suspension of mobile internet services in some parts of the capital have also been implemented.
Source: Agencies