Delhi Police detained AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj and 30 students at Jantar Mantar on May 28, 2024, amid a protest that turned into a mass roundup.
Heavy barricades, three layers of security, and riot‑gear–clad officers surrounded the roundabout, an image that echoed the military tone of a fortress more than a public square. The police moved in at dawn, pulling the AAP leaders, Saurabh Bhardwaj and Sanjeev Jha, into detention vans before the crowds could even raise a banner.
The same clout was shown against student groups: the Students’ Federation of India, the Democratic Youth Federation of India and the All India Students’ Association saw dozens of members shoved into vans, some dragged by their hair and necks. P Santhosh Kumar, a CPI Rajya Sabha MP, was taken away as soon as he stepped onto the ground, while RJD MP Manoj Jha was detained almost immediately after arrival.
A police officer in riot gear answered a question about the arrests with a flat, “Let us do our job.” The reporter on the scene was briefly dragged into a van too, holding a press card that only allowed him to step out after a shout and a firm display of his credentials.
The crackdown unfolded on Gandhi Jayanti, a day meant for non‑violence, but marked instead by the sounds of shouts, screams, and the clatter of police boots on concrete.
The Delhi government has announced that a court will hear the case on June 15, with the legal team expected to argue the detention’s legality in a high‑profile review.