Rajasthan Police Detain Activists Headed for New Delhi Protest

Police across Rajasthan blocked and detained multiple members of the Cockroach Janta Party on Friday to prevent them from traveling to a planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar in the national capital.

Alwar and Sikar Actions

Deepak Baliyan, a senior party official, was taken from his Alwar home by local officers despite recovering from a broken leg. Party leaders stated that officers used physical force, took his mobile device, and forced him to sign a paper stating he was unharmed before dropping him back under heavy guard. In Sikar district, advocate and activist Sanju Verma was held near a police station in Reengus all day with roughly 100 supporters waiting nearby, before being freed by evening following a warning from the station house officer to focus on local matters rather than national ones. Another member, Dalit activist Geegraj Jodli, found his home in Neem Ka Thana surrounded by officers since early morning, effectively placing him under house arrest and blocking him from leaving for work. Additional detentions were reported in Sri Ganganagar, while local law enforcement officials maintained that workers were merely counselled rather than locked up.

Reactions and Transport Disruptions

People's Union for Civil Liberties national president Kavita Srivastava strongly condemned the heavy police measures, stating that using the force to block citizens from reaching Delhi proves how undemocratic the administration has turned. Meanwhile, Indian Railways cancelled nine trains passing through Rajasthan toward New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations due to expectations of heavy traffic congestion near the terminal points.

Context

Authorities often impose movement curbs and prohibitory orders ahead of major political demonstrations in New Delhi to manage crowd control and security. Civil rights groups frequently monitor these state-level police actions to ensure that the constitutional freedom of movement and peaceful assembly of citizens remains protected.