Morning shows the day as citizens display grit to beat Delhi Police’s efforts to stop ‘Jantar Mantar 2.0’
Citizens and activists attempted to gather at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to protest against the Chief Election Commissioner over alleged vote theft, despite heavy security deployment and preemptive detentions by the Delhi Police. While authorities successfully blocked access to the main protest site, demonstrators engaged in sporadic, decentralized acts of protest across the city throughout the day.
Why it matters
The event highlights significant civil unrest and tensions regarding the integrity of the electoral process in India, reflecting a growing confrontation between state security apparatuses and citizens exercising their right to protest.
Before dawn broke in New Delhi on Saturday (October 10, 2026), tension was palpable at Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station as porters and taxi drivers hunted for work, acutely aware of the work they would lose later in the day after the government cancelled dozens of trains. But at rest stops and parking lots, the workers had one eye on their smartphones as the whispers went around — “the public has awakened now”, “looks like the police are preparing to beat up protesters”, and “all eyes are now on Jantar Mantar”.
Keep track | Anti-CEC protest LIVE updates: ‘We still don’t know where they are’, CJP members allege they have no information on detained CJP leaders’ whereabouts
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