The Cockroach Janta Party announced plans on Sunday to widen protest action against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, as demonstrations that had already drawn a substantial police presence across Delhi entered their second day. Around 200 people had been taken into custody over the course of the gatherings.
Protests over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls continued across New Delhi, proceeding despite physical barriers and movement restrictions placed around key locations in the city.
The Supreme Court issued an order directing authorities to refrain from detaining people assembled for peaceful purposes, while also calling on them to keep metro services and internet access running, provided law-and-order conditions permitted. A two-member bench comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana issued notice to the Centre, acting on a petition that sought contempt proceedings against alleged non-compliance with an earlier court direction governing restrictions on metro and train services during the protests.
The bench directed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to ensure that lawyers, journalists, and others in professional roles faced no impediment in carrying out their work. The ruling drew a distinction between lawful assembly and any justification for holding people without legal basis, while leaving intact the powers vested in authorities by statute.
Three figures associated with the party — Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka, and Saurav Das — were released after an executive magistrate heard their case and ordered their discharge. Delhi Police stated that their release was secured on the condition of a ₹50,000 peace bond, binding the individuals to good behaviour for twelve months. The party characterised the release as a favourable outcome in court proceedings.
Das told those gathered that mobile phones held by detainees had been taken by police without any accompanying seizure documentation, and that the treatment extended to ordinary people by the authorities had not met the standard expected of fair and lawful conduct. He raised concerns about unauthorised access to the devices, though no supporting evidence of any such interference was presented.
Ranka stated that protests would not stop short of Kumar's departure from office, with rallies set to extend into areas outside Delhi.
Around 200 students and other rally participants were detained by authorities on Sunday as a march toward Jantar Mantar pressed forward, with those gathered demanding the Chief Election Commissioner's resignation. Affiliates of the Students' Federation of India, the All India Students' Association, and the Krantikari Yuva Sangathan were among those taken into custody. Police also placed CPI(M) MP John Brittas and AISA president Neha Bora under detention.
Delhi Police filed twenty FIRs in connection with Saturday's protests, covering matters that ranged from attacks on officers to interference with those carrying out official duties.
Rathee, who runs a YouTube channel, claimed that individuals dressed in civilian clothing removed him from his home on Saturday morning and transferred him across multiple police stations over a period of roughly 22 to 23 hours, during which access to legal counsel was not made available to him. No independent verification of his account was possible from the available material.
Video material published alongside police statements was put forward to counter the party's claims about Dipke, with authorities stating that he had been informed of his grandmother's death and offered assistance to travel back for the funeral.
The INDIA bloc announced plans for another march on Monday. Congress party leader Kharge disclosed that he and Rahul Gandhi had jointly requested an audience with the Chief Justice of India to raise concerns about what they described as electoral vote theft.
