Delhi Protest Live: Congress youth wing protesters detained at Connaught Place ahead of Opposition presser

Delhi Police has registered four FIRs against social media handles spreading misinformation about protests in the capital, with several Pakistan-based accounts under scrutiny. Officials said the handles circulated misleading claims, including on October 10 that multiple people had died during the protests, allegedly with the intent to create unrest and promote an “anti-India narrative”. Police have also had several Pakistan-based handles deactivated as part of the action against the alleged misinformation campaign, as per the PTI report.

The Supreme Court deferred the hearing on petitions to Thursday concerning protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the closure of metro stations and disruptions in train services ahead of the October 10 agitation. The hearing was postponed after Justice V Mohana attended court despite being unwell. The bench also extended the Centre’s deadline to file its response to a contempt plea alleging that it had violated the court’s directions on maintaining metro and train services. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the affidavit was ready but needed to be made more comprehensive. (PTI)

CJP leader Ashutosh Ranka was detained by Delhi Police at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday morning. Soon after, the party shared a video on X in which Ranka vowed to continue the agitation until Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar steps down. “We will not back down till CEC Gyanesh Kumar resigns. The protest will be at Jantar Mantar. Gyanesh Kumar will resign at Jantar Mantar only,” he said. Claiming the movement would grow, Ranka added, “Today 10 people came, tomorrow 1000s will come, and the day after 10,000 people will join the Jantar Mantar protest.” Reiterating his stand, he said, “We will not stop protesting unless and until Gyanesh Kumar resigns. Denotify whatever you want.”

BJP MP Ravi Kishan accused Rahul Gandhi of “losing his mental balance”, alleging that videos of the INDIA bloc’s protest in Delhi showed the Congress leader elbowing his own party workers. Speaking to reporters in Raipur, Kishan accused the Opposition of disrupting public life after failing to defeat the BJP electorally and questioned its allegations of vote theft and irregularities in electronic voting machines. He said the protests were inconveniencing ordinary people, including patients travelling in ambulances, and claimed that the Opposition was misleading young people. Rahul Gandhi has been leading the INDIA bloc’s agitation against alleged vote theft and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge posted on his X account, saying the Bengaluru Police’s handling of protesters on Monday would be reviewed. The right to peaceful protest must be respected. He said he had instructed the police not to disrupt peaceful demonstrations and urged protesters to cooperate with the authorities to ensure everyone’s safety. “In a democracy, peaceful dissent is not a threat to law and order. It is a right that law and order must protect,” Kharge stated.

Cockroach Janata Party founder Abhijeet Dipke accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of trying to curb protests by removing Jantar Mantar’s status as a designated protest site. He said the move would not stop demonstrations, adding that similar protest sites would emerge across the country. “The problem is not with Jantar Mantar as a location, but with protests,” Dipke told reporters.

Delhi Police has sought an extension of the deployment of 273 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in the national capital till October 20, stating the possibility of fresh protests by the Cockroach Janta Party, student groups and other political parties.

In a letter to the Union Home Ministry, police said the extension was necessary to maintain law and order, with demonstrations expected at sensitive locations such as Jantar Mantar, the Election Commission, Parliament House and India Gate. The request comes amid protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. (PTI)

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi thanked INDIA bloc leaders, party workers, civil society organisations and supporters who joined the protest, saying it was important to show the government that people would not be intimidated. In an X post, Congress leader wrote, “I was wondering where the cowards of the RSS who were beating the young children day before yesterday were. Where were those people? Because I didn’t see them. When we are standing there and when the people of India are standing there, why don’t you come out? Why don’t you wear your little scarves and come out and see what happens? Because you’re essentially, like the Prime Minister of India, bullies. You cannot stand up. You can only use power to fight.”

He added that there were no parallel protests but one collective movement, adding that the INDIA bloc would not back down.

The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) announced plans to hold a major protest in Rajasthan within the next 10 days, alleging that police had detained, assaulted and placed its members under house arrest to prevent them from joining demonstrations in Delhi.

At a press conference in Jaipur, party spokesperson Deepak Baliyan alleged that he was kept under house arrest for four days in Alwar district, while other members claimed they were detained and beaten by police. The party also alleged that their phones were confiscated and they were denied legal assistance. The CJP has appealed to student groups, civil society members and social organisations to join the planned protest.

A joint press conference of INDIA bloc leaders will be held in the afternoon, after the gathering at Gandhi’s 5, Sunehri Bagh Road, residence at 4 PM.