On 10 October 2026, several senior opposition leaders, including former Chief Ministers Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, Pinarayi Vijayan, and Manik Sarkar, were detained by Delhi Police during a protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The protest, which saw significant police presence and restrictions across the capital, was part of a broader campaign against alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls.
According to Scroll, Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, and Pinarayi Vijayan were detained on 10 October while participating in the protest. Kejriwal was detained outside his residence as he attempted to join the demonstration at Jantar Mantar, while Banerjee and Trinamool Congress leaders were detained near her home in Delhi. Vijayan and other Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders, including Manik Sarkar, were also detained and taken to Chhatrasal Stadium.
As reported by Hindustan Times, Arvind Kejriwal was detained minutes after issuing a public call for people to join the protest. He criticised the security measures in Delhi, describing the situation as authoritarian and alleging attempts to suppress questions about electoral irregularities. Kejriwal urged the youth to unite and defend democracy, stating, “The youth of the country are very angry. To everyone listening to me, I want to appeal to the youth of the country: all of us must come together to save the country.”
Footage shared by Kejriwal showed him inside a police bus with other Aam Aadmi Party leaders. He called for public support and criticised the central government for the security clampdown, which he described as “worse than Emergency.” Senior AAP leader Atishi Marlena questioned the detentions, asking, “How many people will you put behind bars to save Gyanesh Kumar?”
As highlighted by The Hindu, Mamata Banerjee and other Trinamool Congress leaders were detained at a South Avenue bus stop, where they had staged a sit-in after being denied permission to proceed to Jantar Mantar. The group displayed placards with messages such as “EC looted Bengal” and “Save Democracy, Save India.”
“Barricades may block the streets, but they cannot halt the march of democracy. No force can silence the people determined to defend their democratic rights.”
Coverage revealed that Pinarayi Vijayan, Manik Sarkar, Brinda Karat, and other senior CPI(M) leaders were detained before reaching the protest site. The party stated that the detentions were an attempt to suppress the demand for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and described the police action as “brutal repression.”
Details emerged as security measures in Delhi included the deployment of drones, closure of metro stations, and the detention of hundreds of protesters. The Supreme Court Bar Association expressed concern over the detention of lawyers and called for intervention to ensure legal access and safety for those detained.
Analysis showed that Arvind Kejriwal described the clampdown as “worse than Emergency,” alleging that the government was attempting to protect electoral fraud by detaining opposition leaders and protesters. He reiterated calls for the resignation of both Gyanesh Kumar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Further updates indicated that the INDIA bloc planned to continue protests, with Mamata Banerjee extending her stay in Delhi to participate in upcoming demonstrations. Trinamool Congress leaders, including Abhishek Banerjee, were also expected to join future actions.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.