YouTuber Dhruv Rathee Detained Ahead of Planned Delhi Protest

Indian YouTuber Dhruv Rathee has been detained by Gurugram police ahead of a planned protest in Delhi after allegedly refusing to comply with police instructions, according to a report by the Hindustan Times.

The report said several police teams arrived at Rathee’s residence in the Kendriya Vihar housing complex in Sector 56, Gurugram, before the scheduled demonstration at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. A senior police official had earlier said Rathee was being urged not to travel to Delhi to participate in the protest. The official warned that he could be detained if he defied the instructions and attempted to leave for the capital.

The planned demonstration has been organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) against India’s Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar. The central government is preparing to deploy more than 20,000 police and central armed police personnel across Delhi to maintain law and order. More than 400 people have reportedly already been detained in different parts of the capital.

According to NDTV, police have not granted permission for the protest. As part of the security arrangements, entry and exit gates at 45 Delhi Metro stations are set to remain closed. These include Rajiv Chowk, New Delhi, Central Secretariat, Patel Chowk and Kashmere Gate.

More than 250 long-distance and local trains scheduled to arrive at New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations between 4 am and 2 pm on Saturday have also been cancelled. Internet services have been suspended for 24 hours within a four-kilometre radius of the Janpath–Kartavya Path intersection, starting at 10 pm on Friday.

The security measures follow unrest and controversy over police action during protests against an alleged question-paper leak on July 20. The report said the incident was followed by the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Authorities are taking the earlier episode into account as they prepare for the latest demonstration.

CJP founder Abhijit Dipak, however, said volunteers and supporters would continue with their plans to gather at Jantar Mantar despite the restrictions. He questioned whether shutting metro stations, cancelling trains and restricting roads would itself cause inconvenience to the public.