‘Almost putting on lockdown’: Dhruv Rathee arrives in Delhi, questions security clampdown ahead of CJP protest

YouTuber Dhruv Rathee on Friday accused the central government of putting Delhi under an “almost lockdown” ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) planned protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, October 10, to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

In a video posted on Instagram, Rathee questioned the extensive security and transport restrictions imposed in the national capital, including the planned closure of metro stations, cancellation of trains and a temporary suspension of mobile internet services in parts of central Delhi.

Earlier on Friday, the DMRC said entry and exit of 57 metro stations would be closed. However, it later issued a revised list, reducing the number of stations to 45, from 9 pm on Friday to 6 pm on Saturday.

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Rathee said metro closures, cancelled trains and the planned mobile internet suspension made Delhi feel like it was under an “almost lockdown.” He questioned why such extensive measures were needed if, as he claimed, social media accounts were predicting a low turnout.

The CJP called the demonstration to demand Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. Organisers alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and raised concerns about the handling of Form 6 voter-registration applications.

Delhi Police described the measures as precautions to maintain law and order and protect the public. It cited concerns about crowd management, previous protests and the need to keep traffic moving and emergency services accessible.

The DMRC revised its initial advisory, reducing the number of affected stations from 57 to 45. Entry and exit were restricted from 9 pm on Friday until 6 pm on Saturday, while interchange facilities remained available at affected stations except New Delhi.

The suspension covered mobile internet services within a four-kilometre radius of the Janpath–Kartavya Path crossing. It was scheduled to run from 10 pm on October 9 until 10 pm on October 10; services elsewhere in Delhi were to remain unaffected.

“How are you, friends? I have arrived in Delhi. And I saw what arrangements our Prime Minister has made here. More than 50 metro stations have been shut down,” Rathee said in the video.

“Trains have been shut down. Buses have been cancelled. And they are almost putting Delhi on lockdown because of our protests,” he added.

Rathee also questioned why such extensive measures were necessary if, as he claimed, social media accounts associated with the BJP were predicting a low turnout at the demonstration.

“On one hand, your IT cell people are saying that no one will come to our protest. If there is no crowd, then why are you doing all this if there is no crowd? I don't understand,” he said.

“I think you are actually scared. Actually, the entire country's population is awake,” Rathee added, urging people to attend the demonstration.

“Friends, if you are watching this, do come to Jantar Mantar on 10th October,” he said.

Delhi Police cites law and order concerns, previous protests

The Delhi Police on Friday defended the temporary restrictions, particularly around Jantar Mantar, saying they were precautionary measures intended to maintain law and order and protect residents, commuters, businesses and police personnel.

In a statement, Additional Commissioner of Police Rajeev Ranjan said the right to peaceful protest was an important democratic right, but authorities also had a responsibility to prevent violence and ensure public safety.

The police claimed that a protest authorised for a single day in July continued for nearly a month, leaving more than 200 police personnel injured. They also alleged that over 2,000 people with criminal antecedents took part in the demonstrations.

According to the statement, students were also injured in clashes, while allegations of molestation and assault involving women constables during protests over the past week raised serious concerns.

The Delhi Police said Jantar Mantar could accommodate around 1,000 people safely at any given time. It emphasised that obtaining prior permission was essential to ensure proper crowd management, regulate traffic and maintain access for emergency services.

However, the Delhi Police have refused permission for the CJP's proposed protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10. Following the decision, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan has instructed police chiefs across all states and Union Territories to ensure law and order and tighten security arrangements.

25,000 security personnel deployed

Delhi has stepped up security ahead of Saturday’s proposed gathering, with around 25,000 police and paramilitary personnel deployed, according to reports. Authorities have also ordered intensive checks at border points, railway stations, bus terminals, hotels and other sensitive locations.

Several train services to the capital have also been cancelled, as per reports.

Separately, mobile internet services will remain suspended within a four-kilometre radius of the Janpath–Kartavya Path crossing from 10 pm on October 9 until 10 pm on October 10, according to ANI citing sources. The restriction will apply to mobile internet services in the designated area, while services in the rest of Delhi will remain unaffected, they mentioned.

The measures come amid heightened tensions over the CJP protest and the demand for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.

Why is CJP protesting against CEC Gyanesh Kumar?

The CJP has called for a demonstration at Jantar Mantar over alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls under the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

The protest organisers have accused the poll body of voter-list tampering and raised questions about the handling of Form 6, the application used to register as a voter.

The planned demonstration follows protests in several cities, including Bengaluru, where Rathee and actor Prakash Raj joined a CJP-led gathering at Freedom Park on Thursday.

(With inputs from agency)

About the Author

Garvit Bhirani is a journalist based in Gurugram. He is a Deputy Chief Content Producer at LiveMint, where he covers national and international news stories, focusing on accuracy and compelling storytelling for readers. <br><br> With a total of six years of experience in journalism, he has previously worked with Vaco Binary Semantics for Google, taking on the role of news curation lead, and reported from the field on health, education, and agriculture stories for 101reporters and News9. He has also served as a content editor for entertainment and news media organisations. <br><br> Garvit holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism and mass communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and Gurugram University, respectively. During college days, he joined India’s only non-profit student journalism network, where he anchored daily news updates and produced his own weekly show called ‘Data Fix’. <br><br> He was selected for the YES Foundation Media for Social Change Fellowship in Delhi, the Talking Data to the Fourth Pillar residential workshop, and the VOICE Fellowship in Pune. <br><br> He holds certificates in COVID-19-verification reporting, data journalism, food & agriculture, tech policy, media literacy and countering misinformation, and tackling election disinformation courses from Thomson Foundation, IndiaSpend, The Dialogue, US Mission in India, and AFP. <br><br> He can be reached on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/garvit-bhirani">LinkedIn</a> or on <a href="https://x.com/GarvitBhirani">@garvitbhirani</a> on X