Delhi restricts metro access and mobile internet ahead of election-chief protest

Delhi authorities restricted transport and suspended mobile internet in part of the capital ahead of a planned protest on October 10 demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. Reuters reported early on Saturday that central Delhi was sealed, with police and paramilitaries patrolling and markets closed, extending the disruption beyond the demonstration site.

The Cockroach Janta Party, or CJP, called the gathering at Jantar Mantar for 10am Indian time. Police refused permission, but organisers said they would proceed. That scheduled start was still ahead at the time of reporting; attendance and the outcome of the demonstration were not established.

Delhi metro closures: reports differ on final restrictions

The Indian Express reported that authorities announced the closure of 57 metro stations from 9pm on Friday, October 9, until the situation normalised. Its account described stations identified in a police letter to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.

The original list reached well beyond Jantar Mantar. It included Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat, Kashmere Gate and Hauz Khas, placing stations in several parts of Delhi within the announced restrictions. That list establishes the scope of the original announcement, rather than a verified account of which stations were ultimately operating.

Rail travel was also affected. Reuters reported several long-distance train cancellations announced on Friday, while The Indian Express identified New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations as affected by railway restrictions. A complete current cancellation list and independently measured passenger impact were not established.

Where Delhi’s mobile internet suspension applies

The Times of India reported that the mobile internet suspension covered an area within four kilometres of the Janpath–Kartavya Path crossing. The reported period ran from 10pm on October 9 until 10pm on October 10. This was a geographically limited restriction, rather than a reported shutdown across the whole city.

Reuters reported mobile internet suspended early on Saturday. The published schedule describes the intended duration of the restriction, but the underlying order was not examined for this report. Service availability throughout the affected area, and the eventual time of restoration, have not been independently established.

Why police refused the Jantar Mantar protest

Delhi Police said permission was refused because the application arrived too late and because organisers had allegedly breached undertakings during earlier protests. Police also cited maintaining peace and enforcing the law. The Times of India identified Joint Commissioner Nupur Prasad as explaining that the application arrived on October 7 and that ten days’ notice was required.

CJP leaders rejected the refusal and asserted a fundamental right to protest, according to Reuters. That was the organisers’ position, rather than a legal ruling on the proposed gathering. The Times of India named Abhijeet Dipke as reiterating the group’s intention to proceed.

Security measures extended to checks at Delhi’s borders, railway stations, bus terminals and hotels, The Times of India reported. It also reported instructions from the police commissioner for personnel to exercise restraint and avoid responding to provocation.

Voter-list dispute behind the resignation demand

The CJP is a youth movement that began as online satire, according to Reuters. Organisers described their campaign as an effort to ‘Save Democracy’. Their resignation demand centres on the revision of electoral rolls, a process critics allege favoured Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.

Reuters reported that approximately 130 million names had been removed in the revision process. That figure does not establish how many eligible voters, if any, were wrongly excluded, or demonstrate deliberate manipulation. The Election Commission and the BJP denied the allegations; Reuters said Kumar had not commented.

Reuters linked the recent demonstrations to Indian Express reporting that Kumar’s fellow commissioners had questioned aspects of the revision. The BJP attributed its electoral strength to Modi’s popularity and economic growth and accused opposition parties of misleading the public. The confrontation comes ahead of state elections beginning in early 2027, including Uttar Pradesh.