Congress leaders on Saturday, 10 October sharply criticised heavy security restrictions imposed across Central Delhi ahead of a protest by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar, alleging that the Union government was suppressing citizens' fundamental rights and silencing legitimate dissent. The condemnation came from the party's top leadership, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, senior Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor, and former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram.

Kharge Calls It a 'Muzzled Democracy'

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, in a post on social media platform X, alleged that a sweeping range of citizens — including youth, students, lawyers, journalists, social activists, farm union leaders, YouTubers, and content creators — were being detained. “Modi Govt has turned the ‘Mother of Democracy’ into a ‘Muzzled Democracy’,” he wrote.

Kharge further said, “The cowardice of the BJP-RSS is on full display today. Detentions, arrests, jails, lathis and pellets cannot deter the people of India.” He asserted that the Congress Party, alongside a united Opposition, would resist what he termed a “tyrannical regime.”

Tharoor Highlights Movement Curbs and Internet Shutdown

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor cited on-ground conditions in the capital, including checkpoints, concrete barriers, spike strips, and a heavy deployment of police and paramilitary personnel. Tharoor said he had returned to Delhi after 2 a.m. and described the scale of restrictions as something he had rarely witnessed in the city.

He pointed to reports of train cancellations, metro station closures, and individuals allegedly being detained from their homes and streets in and around Delhi. He also criticised the reported suspension of internet services in parts of the national capital.

“Freedom of movement stands completely shackled. Jantar Mantar was designated precisely so that citizens could voice dissent in the centre of Delhi, and today even the roads leading to it have been declared out of bounds,” Tharoor said. He also demanded the release of those detained and questioned whether authorities would impose similar restrictions if protesters returned on 12 October.

Tharoor questioned the prioritisation of security deployment, asking why comparable urgency was not demonstrated when women in the national capital required protection. “Our GenZ deserves better than an undeclared Emer-GenZ,” he said. He argued that a government confident in the fairness of elections should welcome scrutiny rather than respond with force.

Chidambaram Alleges Measures Protect Election Commissioner

Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was going to extraordinary lengths to shield Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. He claimed that metro station closures, the deployment of police from other states, internet shutdowns, and restrictions on peaceful assembly had disrupted ordinary citizens' daily lives.

“The youth are protesting; their minds are protesting; their hearts are protesting; their families are supporting them. And they are the voters in the next election,” Chidambaram said. He warned that the BJP would eventually recognise that suppressing dissent was not a viable path to retaining political power.

Context and What Comes Next

The CJP protest at Jantar Mantar — a site historically designated for public demonstrations in the heart of the capital — drew a security response that Congress characterised as disproportionate. The measures, according to party leaders, affected public transport, internet connectivity, and free movement across Central Delhi. Notably, Tharoor explicitly questioned whether similar restrictions would be imposed again should protests resume on 12 October, signalling the likelihood of continued mobilisation.

With the Congress and the united Opposition publicly committed to escalating pressure, and with questions around electoral integrity forming the backdrop, the coming days will test how the government responds to sustained civic dissent in the capital.