Published Oct 09, 2026 | 8:09 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 09, 2026 | 8:10 PM
Delhi Police (Wikimedia)
Synopsis: The Delhi Police has ordered a 24-hour suspension of mobile internet services within a 4-km radius of the Janpath-Kartavya Path crossing from 10 pm on Friday to 10 pm on Saturday ahead of the Cockroach Janata Party’s march to Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The internet shutdown follows unprecedented measures taken by the Delhi Police to stop the planned march.
The Delhi Police has ordered a 24-hour suspension of mobile internet services within a 4-km radius of the Janpath-Kartavya Path crossing from 10 pm on Friday, 9 October to 10 pm on Saturday, 10 October, ahead of the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) march to Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
In an order dated 9 October, Manishi Chandra, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Cell (Headquarters), asked Airtel, Vodafone Idea, Jio and MTNL to implement the suspension immediately. The order said the Union Home Secretary had authorised the suspension under sub-rule (1) of Rule 3 of the Telecommunications (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024, read with Section 20(2)(b) of the Telecommunications Act, 2023.
The Delhi Police functions under the Union Home Ministry.
The CJP has called the march demanding the removal of Kumar and the cancellation of the SIR. Left student organisations, including the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), All India Students’ Federation (AISF), All India Students’ Association (AISA), Progressive Students Union (PSU), All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO) and All India Students’ Bloc (AISB), announced on 6 October that they would participate in the agitation in large numbers.
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The internet shutdown follows unprecedented measures taken by the Delhi Police to stop the planned march. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has been directed to close 57 metro stations from 9 pm on Friday until Saturday, citing the likelihood of “unruly mob movement towards sensitive locations.”
Detentions of CJP volunteers and left student activists have been reported from across the country as they attempted to reach the national capital.
The Indian Railways has cancelled trains arriving at and departing from New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations for 10 hours, from 4 am to 2 pm on Saturday.
The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Union government not to completely suspend train services to and from Delhi or close metro stations ahead of the protest.
It directed the Centre to allow the services to operate in a regulated manner, keeping in mind the principle of proportionality and avoiding inconvenience to the public. The Court also directed the Centre to give adequate publicity to the advisory so that the public did not face hardship.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
