Mumbai: Mahatma Gandhi’s great-grandson Tushar Gandhi was reportedly detained by Mumbai Police on Saturday, October 10, ahead of a proposed gathering at August Kranti Maidan at 3.30 pm. The gathering was planned in solidarity with protesters at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, according to a statement circulated by organisers.

Despite the detention, the statement said the Mumbai gathering would proceed.

The developments came as leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), including founder Abhijeet Dipke and co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were detained by Delhi Police ahead of a planned protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

According to the party, police entered an Air India aircraft after it landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport and detained the three leaders. In a video recorded aboard the flight, Dipke criticised the action, alleging that the situation was worse than during the Emergency. Das accused the authorities of using force to obstruct a constitutional movement.

The CJP also claimed that social activist and influencer Dhruv Rathee was detained at his Gurugram residence, while its legal cell head Ratna Singh and spokesperson Mehr were reportedly detained from their homes.

The party further alleged that more than 1,000 volunteers, activists and citizens had been detained across the National Capital Region, with local stadiums being used as temporary detention centres. These claims could not be independently verified at the time of publication.

The CJP urged citizens, particularly young people, to join the movement, invoking the principles of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr BR Ambedkar. It said the protest would continue despite the detentions, reiterating its demand for the Chief Election Commissioner’s resignation.