Mass Detentions Across Mumbai and Delhi as Protesters Demand the Resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar

On Saturday, the Mumbai police filed an FIR at the Gamdevi police station after a noisy, heavily‑crowded protest erupted at August Kranti Maidan. The demonstration was organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) – a quirky‑named group that has been shouting for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to step down.

According to police, more than 400 people were taken into custody. The charge sheet lists sections 223, 126(2), 189(2), 189(3) and 189(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita – basically “disobedience to an order”, “wrongful restraint” and several flavors of “unlawful assembly”. Interestingly, the complainants were the police themselves, which adds a touch of irony to the whole affair.

The venue, August Kranti Maidan, is no ordinary field. It’s the very spot from which the Quit India Movement was launched in 1942, a place steeped in history. The gathering was called by Tushur Gandhi – yes, the great‑grandson of Mahatma Gandhi – who marched up to the Maidan before being handcuffed and taken away. He was later released, but not before his name made headlines again.

Adding a dash of Bollywood flair, actor Imran Khan was also nabbed at the scene. He posted a selfie from inside a police van with a cheeky caption, “Apparently I’m going for a drive.” The post went viral, turning a serious crackdown into a brief moment of internet‑wide amusement.

Meanwhile, half a thousand kilometres north, Delhi police reported detaining around 1,000 protesters trying to reach Jantar Mantar. The capital’s authorities said they had not granted any permission for a rally, so they set up checkpoints and vehicle inspections to stop the crowd from gathering.

Among the Delhi detainees were Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and All India Students’ Association leader Neha Bora. CJP activists Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka, and legal head Ratna Singh also found themselves behind bars, at least for a few hours.

Both cities saw a mix of political figures, activists and ordinary citizens caught up in the police sweep. The arrests have sparked fresh debates about the right to protest, the role of the Election Commission, and whether the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has crossed a line.

For now, the police say the FIRs are lodged and investigations are underway. The protestors, on the other hand, say they’ll keep pressing for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, no matter how many police vans line up at the gates.