Delhi Police have detained former Kerala Chief Minister and senior CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan in New Delhi as part of an escalating crackdown on the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The detention was confirmed in a video statement by CPI(M) Member of Parliament John Brittas, who was detained alongside Vijayan and former Kerala Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal. Brittas revealed that the leaders were initially taken to Chhatrasal Stadium—designated as one of six makeshift detention holding facilities—and subsequently driven around the capital inside police vehicles for over an hour without clear destination details.
Criticizing the central government, Brittas alleged that New Delhi has been turned into a police-controlled state where fundamental civil liberties are being suspended. The security escalation follows preventative measures by law enforcement to avert a repeat of the July 20 demonstrations. To curb the mobilization, authorities closed entry and exit gates across 45 metro stations, canceled over 250 trains destined for New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations, deployed 20,000 security personnel, installed 300 surveillance cameras, and imposed a 24-hour internet blackout within a 4 km radius of Jantar Mantar. Over 1,000 individuals—including key CJP organizers Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka, legal head Ratna Singh, and influencer Dhruv Rathee—have been taken into custody since Friday evening.
— Daily Best News Desk • Fearless in the search for truth
Reported by International Desk • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
