Delhi Police announced on Tuesday that it would station 20,000 officers and Central Armed Police forces along a 1.5‑kilometre radius around Jantar Mantar to prevent a protest by the Cockroach Janta Party against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The force, split into two waves, will begin patrolling at 10 p.m. on October 8, 2026, and will be reinforced by 6,500 personnel once the protest reaches the heart of the city.
The Police plan will close 45 Delhi Metro stations, including Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat and Kashmere Gate, and cancel over 250 inter‑state and local trains scheduled to arrive between 4 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday. A 4‑kilometre radius around Janpath‑Kartavya Path will see internet services suspended for 24 hours, beginning at 10 p.m. Friday, while 300 high‑definition CCTV cameras will monitor the zone.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke told supporters on a livestream that the protest will go ahead despite the curbs. Delhi Police, meanwhile, instructed officers to prevent entry into the New Delhi district and remove any protester from restricted areas as swiftly as possible, a move that the police say balances the right to protest with the city’s need to function safely.
For commuters, the disruptions mean a bus driver on the Ring Road will have to detour 12 kilometres to reach his route. A local bakery owner, Meera Gupta, said she had to close her shop two hours early because a crowd had gathered outside Jantar Mantar, fearing the police would arrest anyone who lingered. The protest, slated for Saturday, will unfold under a heavily guarded perimeter with loudspeakers warning that permission has not been granted.