Authorities in New Delhi implemented a heavy security lockdown on Saturday, deploying over 40,000 police and paramilitary personnel to prevent a planned protest against the country's election commissioner. The demonstration, organized by a group known as the 'cockroach' movement, sought to demand the official's resignation.

Reports regarding the scale of the police response vary significantly. NDTV reported that over 1,000 protesters were detained during the operation. Conversely, France24 stated that the number of detainees exceeded 2,000. Among those taken into custody was the founder of the 'cockroach' movement, a satirical online group. NDTV also highlighted the detention of a BJP leader's daughter, who claimed she was merely sitting in a park at the time of her arrest.

The security measures effectively prevented the rally from proceeding as intended, with police cordoning off parts of the capital to maintain order. While the government has framed the security deployment as a necessary measure to maintain public order, the protesters maintain that their right to assemble was unfairly suppressed.