New Delhi: The United Nations (UN) expressed concern over 4,000 people being detained across Delhi on Saturday as part of a massive crackdown on Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) anti-Gyanesh Kumar protests.
After CJP’s Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained immediately upon landing at Delhi airport for their planned protest at Jantar Mantar, several Opposition leaders were prevented from joining the agitation.
Former chief ministers Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal, Pinarayi Vijayan and Manik Sarkar were among prominent political personalities who were detained.
“We are concerned by reports of mass detentions in India of demonstrators, protest leaders, members of civil society organisations, lawyers and journalists, before and during today’s large-scale demonstrations in Delhi,” UN Human Rights said in a post on X.
“We call on the authorities to ensure that the right to peaceful assembly is fully respected and fulfilled.”
The UN also called for “immediate and unconditional” release of all those who have been “arbitrarily” detained.
#India: We are concerned by reports of mass detentions of demonstrators, protest leaders, members of civil society organisations, lawyers and journalists, before and during today’s large-scale demonstrations in Delhi.
We call on the authorities to ensure that the right to peaceful assembly is fully respected and fulfilled.
— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) October 10, 2026
‘Undeclared emergency’, says Wangchuk
Activist Sonam Wangchuk warned of starting another hunger strike if those detained on Saturday are not released by Sunday.
In a video message released on his social media handles, the Ladakh activist claimed that the country was in a state of ‘undeclared emergency’.
“Yesterday when I posted a message appealing for unity and peace in today’s protest, I had never imagined that the biggest democracy in the world would be under an undeclared EMERGENCY,” he wrote.
Wangchuk extended his support to the anti-CEC protest, but could not physically take part in the agitation in Delhi. “I was happy there were so many leaders to lead the movement, but I now learn that they have all been arrested,” he said.