Delhi shuts metro stations, restricts traffic as opposition marches against election chief

• Delhi shuts six metro stations as opposition marches to Supreme Court
• Chief Justice declines to meet Rahul Gandhi, suggests filing a petition
• Jantar Mantar no longer an official protest site, police order says
• More than 7,000 detained Saturday; RSF says 16 journalists held

AUTHORITIES closed six metro stations and restricted traffic across New Delhi on Monday as India’s opposition began marching to the Supreme Court to protest a controversial revision of voter lists that has sparked days of unrest in the capital.

The main opposition Congress party said it would file a petition over the revision after Chief Justice Surya Kant declined a request from Rahul Gandhi for a meeting.

In a letter to Gandhi seen by Reuters, Kant said the issues raised were already being heard by the court, and discussing pending cases would go against ethics and judicial propriety. He suggested Congress file a petition instead.

More than 7,000 detained as India cracks down on election protests

“There is nothing to fear,” Gandhi said Sunday. “These cowards can do absolutely nothing to us.”

Capital under lockdown

Six metro stations were closed for “security reasons,” and police imposed traffic restrictions and diversions on more than 20 stretches of road. Hundreds of security personnel in riot gear were deployed in central Delhi, with key roads barricaded and water cannons on standby.

All India Students Association president Neha Bora, wearing a black shirt, takes part in a march during a protest on October 11, 2026 in New Delhi,.Getty

Delhi Police also said Jantar Mantar, a historic observatory that has served as the city’s main protest site for decades, was no longer a designated protest venue, and that three new sites had been identified, according to an official order seen by Reuters.

Supporters of the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) held a weeks-long sit-in at Jantar Mantar earlier this year that led to the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over exam paper leaks.

The CJP said its leaders were meeting police to demand a date for a peaceful protest.

“We have left it on them (police) to tell us a date and time (for the protest)...but...it is not like they can keep the matter pending, we will give them an ultimatum of 24 hours,” spokesperson Saurav Das said.

What’s behind the protests

Opposition parties and CJP supporters have taken to the streets almost daily this month to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The protests erupted after the Indian Express reported last month that Kumar’s two deputies had raised concerns internally about the voter list revision, registration procedures and digital systems.

The revision, which began last year, has removed more than 130 million names from voter lists, more than the population of Japan. They include 63 million people who had moved, 30 million who could not be traced and 28 million who had died.

Opposition parties say Muslims and other minorities, who are unlikely to support Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), are disproportionately affected.

Youtuber Dhruv Rathee speaks during a press conference following his release from police detention on October 11, 2026 in New Delhi.Getty

The Election Commission denies favoring any party and says wrongly deleted voters can re-enroll. The BJP accuses its rivals of trying to undermine India’s democracy by wrongly questioning legitimate electoral processes.

Weekend crackdown draws criticism

Monday’s march follows a weekend in which police detained thousands of protesters. The Press Trust of India put the number held Saturday at more than 7,000, including CJP leaders and four former chief ministers. Around 200 more were detained Sunday.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said at least 16 journalists were detained over the weekend, calling it “unacceptable.” Several reporters said they were held despite prominently displaying their press cards.

John Brittas, a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India’s Parliament, from the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said police “manhandled, dragged, assaulted” him.

India's Cockroach movement leaders released as opposition vows fresh protests

“This is not merely an assault on an MP. It is an assault on democratic freedoms and the rule of law,” he said.

Videos circulating online showed officers carrying away Neha Bora, president of the All India Students’ Association, by her arms and legs. YouTuber Dhruv Rathee said he was taken from his home by men in plain clothes and held for around 22 hours without access to a lawyer.

“I was not detained, I was kidnapped,” he said.

Police defend actions

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and fellow leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, who were detained aboard their flight from Mumbai on Saturday, were released Sunday on condition that they not “breach peace” for a year.

Delhi Police said the “preventive arrests” followed “all due legal procedures.” Police have filed 20 cases linked to Saturday’s protest, including charges of assaulting officers and obstructing public servants.

Police also released a video to rebut claims that Dipke was not told about his grandmother’s death while in custody, saying he was informed and offered help traveling to the funeral, but declined.

Supreme Court’s warning

At a special Sunday sitting, the Supreme Court ordered that people gathering peacefully must not be illegally detained. It directed the government to keep the Delhi Metro running normally, avoid internet shutdowns, subject to law and order, and ensure lawyers and journalists can do their jobs.

“There shall not be illegal detention, save and except by procedure established by law,” the bench said.

The CJP, which has mobilized protests in recent months on issues ranging from school infrastructure to jobs, has become one of the biggest political challenges to Modi in his 12 years in power.

“This protest will not stop till Gyanesh resigns,” Ranka said.

(With inputs from agencies)