Authorities in the Indian capital put the entire city on lockdown in a bid to thwart a mass gathering of youth, which saw scores detained and some prominent activists arrested. Thousands of security forces were deployed throughout the city along with the suspension of travel routes and telecommunication network.

The young movement Cockroach Janta party organised the demonstrations. The group wanted to mobilise thousands of people to call for the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of the Election Commission of India (ECI), Gyanesh Kumar.

The rally was organised by activists over the recent changes in electoral lists. Those who are against the changes argue that the revision is biased towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiaya Janata Party. The protesters were set to gather outside the historically designated and important protest area of Jantar Mantar at 10 a.m. in the heart of New Delhi.

The Delhi Police had sealed off the area where the protest was to take place and arrested about 200 people in connection with the protest. Popular YouTube personality and protest supporter Dhruv Rathee was among the arrested people outside the city.

Authorities also stopped the main leaders of the movement from entering and exiting the airport. Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach movement was arrested when he arrived from Mumbai, after police reportedly asked him to discontinue the protest. Protest leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were also arrested as they arrived on the plane.

Officials blocked mobile internet services and mobile markets and closed transit hubs operated by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to implement the lockdown. Police officers were on buses and conducting active searches of vehicles for signs of demonstrators, according to witnesses.

Traffic on the region, which falls under the control of the Government of Delhi, was severely hampered by blocking them with barricades and concrete blocks. Police set up anti-riot vehicles on important streets and video footage showed police running police dogs to chase and drag dozens of young protesters in the central business district.