Story perspectives

India Rejects UN Call to Release Delhi Protesters

By Drooid · Oct 12, 2026, 11:01 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

India Ministry Defends Arrests

India's Ministry of External Affairs said UN human-rights office remarks constitute unwarranted interference.
More than 7,000 demonstrators were detained in New Delhi as police blocked a rally demanding the chief election commissioner’s resignation.
UN OHCHR spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan demanded the immediate, unconditional release of all arbitrarily detained protesters.
The ministry said law-enforcement acted within the law and courts remain available for grievance redressal.

Summary

Delhi Police Block March

Over 30,000 police and paramilitary personnel were deployed to block the planned CJP march.
More than 40 Delhi Metro stations were closed, disrupting commuter travel across the capital.
Mobile internet service was suspended in at least eight Delhi locations, including temporary detention zones.
Approximately 15 journalists from Newslaundry, Scroll and Navbharat Times were detained.
Former chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, Pinarayi Vijayan and Manik Sarkar were taken into custody.

History

Historical Context

During the 1975 Indian Emergency, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi suspended democratic rights, imposing nationwide curfews and authorizing mass arrests. The Delhi Police and paramilitary forces detained over 100,000 opposition activists, while the Supreme Court upheld the government's decree on 25 June 1975. Today's crackdown on Delhi demonstrators, involving 7,000 arrests, 30,000 security personnel, and UN criticism, mirrors that authoritarian response to dissent. Such parallels warn that repeated suspension of civil liberties can erode judicial independence and invite international scrutiny, prompting future reforms.

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India Ministry Defends Arrests

India's Ministry of External Affairs said UN human-rights office remarks constitute unwarranted interference.
More than 7,000 demonstrators were detained in New Delhi as police blocked a rally demanding the chief election commissioner’s resignation.
UN OHCHR spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan demanded the immediate, unconditional release of all arbitrarily detained protesters.
The ministry said law-enforcement acted within the law and courts remain available for grievance redressal.

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