Delhi Police Detain SFI, AISF and AIYF Activists at Connaught Place as Tensions Rise Over CEC Protest

On Sunday afternoon, the usual bustle of Connaught Place’s Inner Circle was punctuated by a heavy police presence and a flurry of arrests. Officers moved in on a small gathering of activists from the Students' Federation of India (SFI), the All India Students Federation (AISF) and the All India Youth Federation (AIYF), who were staging a sit‑in to echo a larger demonstration that had taken place the day before.

The protesters were there to voice dissent over the recent demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar – a demand that was spearheaded by the so‑called Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar. The CJP rally, which drew thousands, was met with a thick police cordon and, according to witnesses, a “preventive” crackdown that resulted in about a thousand people being taken into custody, including some prominent opposition figures.

Among those detained on Saturday were AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan, and the numbers swelled to roughly a thousand by evening. The following day, when SFI and allied left‑wing activists tried to stage a solidarity protest at Connaught Place, police acted quickly, citing concerns about law and order, obstruction of government work and alleged assaults on officers.

Four FIRs were filed on the spot, and police said four individuals were arrested in connection with an alleged scuffle captured on a video that went viral online. Meanwhile, three CJP leaders – Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das – were released after appearing before an executive magistrate at Delhi Cantt police station, their detention having been deemed “preventive.” Their legal affairs head, Ratna Singh, confirmed the release and said the party would hold a press conference later that afternoon.

Adding another layer to the drama, Dipke claimed in an Instagram video that he and his comrades were detained as they disembarked from a flight arriving from Mumbai, merely because they intended to join the protest. The incident sparked a flurry of social‑media posts accusing the authorities of stifling democratic rights, while the ruling BJP brushed off the criticism as politically motivated.

Overall, the episode reflects a growing sense of unease in Delhi’s political climate – a mix of high‑stakes protests, a visible police response and a chorus of accusations ranging from “authoritarian overreach” to “necessary law enforcement.” As the dust settles, activists on both sides are left wondering how much space remains for dissent in the capital.