Left parties on Saturday, 10 October issued a joint call for demonstrations at district headquarters across Tamil Nadu, condemning the alleged arrest of senior communist leaders and the use of force against activists in Delhi during a protest demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The appeal marks a direct escalation of the political standoff between Left formations and the Union government over what the parties describe as an assault on democratic rights.

What Happened in Delhi

The original protest in Delhi was organised by the Cockroach Janata Party, backed by Left parties and affiliated mass organisations, targeting Jantar Mantar as the assembly point. According to the joint statement issued by the Left parties, Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel deployed in large numbers used force to prevent demonstrators from gathering.

Among those allegedly arrested were Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary M.A. Baby, Communist Party of India general secretary D. Raja, and leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation. The statement further alleged that youth and student organisation leaders, trade union activists, and other senior workers were also taken into custody, with several detainees reportedly held inside police vehicles for hours.

Scale of Security Deployment Alleged

The parties claimed that authorities imposed sweeping restrictions across the national capital ahead of the mobilisation. According to the joint statement, 254 trains bound for Delhi were cancelled, 54 Metro stations were closed, and 35,000 police personnel were deployed. The parties cited these figures as evidence of a coordinated effort to obstruct participation in the demonstration.

Security forces allegedly surrounded offices of political parties and mass organisations to restrict the movement of activists. The Left parties argued that these arrangements ran contrary to the Supreme Court's observations on peaceful protest, asserting that such measures cannot extinguish citizens' constitutional right to assemble and express dissent.

Tamil Nadu Response and Political Demands

Condemning the alleged crackdown, the Left parties held the Union government directly responsible for the conduct of Delhi Police and the paramilitary deployment, arguing that the Centre bears accountability for law enforcement actions in the capital. Their joint statement urged party units and affiliated organisations across Tamil Nadu to mobilise at district headquarters in solidarity with the detained leaders and to reiterate the demand for Kumar's removal.

This comes amid a broader campaign by opposition parties and Left formations against the Chief Election Commissioner, with Saturday's events intensifying that political pressure. Notably, the alleged arrests of national-level party general secretaries — if confirmed — would represent a significant escalation in the confrontation between the Left bloc and the Union government.

What Comes Next

The proposed district-level demonstrations across Tamil Nadu are expected to keep pressure on both the state administration and the Centre. The Left parties have not yet indicated whether further national-level protests are planned, but the joint statement signals that the campaign for Gyanesh Kumar's removal is far from over. Independent verification of the claimed figures — including train cancellations, Metro closures, and the number of personnel deployed — was not immediately available.