Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijit Dipke on October 3 called for a Jantar Mantar protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

The CJP has called for criminal action against Mr. Kumar and also demanded his resignation.

Ahead of the large protest, authorities have imposed strict security measures and traffic restrictions across New Delhi, with police personnel and Border Security Force (BSF) jawans deployed at key points.

More than 55 Delhi metro stations have been closed, several rail services reduced and cancelled, citing the likelihood of “unruly crowd movement towards sensitive locations”. Several groups, including the CJP, alleged that protesters were being picked up from across the country.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has approved a temporary Internet suspension and also provided the Delhi Police with additional Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel to strengthen security arrangements.

The Internet services will remain suspended within a 4-kilometre radius around the Janpath–Kartavya Path crossing from 10 p.m. on October 9 to 10 p.m. on October 10.

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