Arvind Kejriwal Detained in Delhi During Protests Demanding Resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar (Video)
AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, alongside former chief ministers Mamata Banerjee and Pinarayi Vijayan, was detained by Delhi Police on Saturday during widespread demonstrations demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar. The protests stem from opposition allegations of voter deletions in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) electoral roll drive.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was detained by Delhi Police on Saturday, October 10, during widespread demonstrations demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Several prominent opposition leaders, including Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan, were also taken into custody as security personnel clamped down on unauthorised protest marches converging toward central Delhi.
The detentions occurred amid a high-stakes standoff surrounding the Election Commission of India's (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Opposition parties have alleged widespread voter disenfranchisement and arbitrary name deletions, while the poll body has defended the SIR exercise as a legitimate measure to eliminate duplicate and ineligible entries. CJP Jantar Mantar Protest: Ajinkya Shinde to Lead Stir as Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das Remain Detained (Video).
Arvind Kejriwal Detained in Delhi During Protests Demanding Resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar
VIDEO | Delhi: AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal detained during protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
(Source: Third Party)
(Full video available on PTI Videos - ptivideos - https://t.co/d8jp61yd2p) https://t.co/pwiC8Tup30
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 10, 2026
Coordinated Police Action Against Senior Opposition Figures
Security personnel intercepted senior political figures across multiple locations in the national capital to prevent planned demonstrations from reaching Jantar Mantar. Alongside Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee was detained near South Avenue with party MPs Derek O'Brien and Dola Sen, while Kerala leader Pinarayi Vijayan and senior Left leaders were stopped by police cordons.
In a social media statement following his custody, Vijayan alleged that the central government had turned the capital into an "open prison" through large-scale deployments of armed personnel to suppress democratic dissent. AAP leaders condemned the police action against Kejriwal, stating that peaceful assembly was being curbed to protect the poll panel leadership from accountability. CJP Jantar Mantar Protest 2.0: Lawyers Detained Near Supreme Court Amid Demand for Gyanesh Kumar’s Resignation.
Heavy Security Deployments and Transit Restrictions
Delhi authorities imposed strict mobility curbs across central administrative zones ahead of Saturday's scheduled demonstrations. Over 20,000 security personnel, including paramilitary forces, were stationed at key transit nodes, while dozens of metro stations faced restricted access to manage crowds.
The sweeping lockdown follows days of escalating tension during which student outfits, civil society groups, and opposition leaders staged rolling demonstrations. The Union Home Ministry had earlier upgraded CEC Gyanesh Kumar's Z+ security cover after protesters held demonstrations outside his family residences in Delhi and Agra.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 10, 2026 03:22 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
