New Delhi: AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal was detained outside his Lodhi Estate residence on Saturday while heading to the planned Jantar Mantar protest, bringing the party’s most prominent leader into the day’s confrontation over the demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
Former Delhi chief minister Atishi reported the detention in a 3:04 pm X post on October 10, 2026, and shared a short video of Kejriwal amid a tightly packed crowd. She alleged that Delhi Police had taken him into custody brutally for demanding Kumar’s resignation.
View Atishi’s original post — October 10, 2026
Atishi questions Modi over the detention
Atishi described Kejriwal as a three-time Delhi chief minister and questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over how many people would be put behind bars to protect Kumar. Her claim about the reason for the detention and her description of the police action are allegations made in the post.
The accompanying video, roughly 20 seconds long, shows Kejriwal surrounded closely by people, including uniformed personnel. The clip captures the crowded encounter but does not establish the legal grounds for taking him into custody.
Detentions precede the Jantar Mantar gathering
Earlier in the day, Cockroach Janta Party said founder Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka had been detained from inside their aircraft after arriving at Delhi airport. A pre-recorded message released by CJP named Ajinkya Shinde to lead the protest while the three were in detention.
The planned gathering sought Kumar’s resignation over allegations relating to electoral rolls. Those claims are contested; the Election Commission has rejected allegations of politically motivated manipulation.
Permission dispute remains part of the background
Delhi Police had refused permission for the October 10 protest. Its October 9 letter cited the required advance application period, alleged violations of earlier conditions and concerns over public order and traffic.
Atishi’s post does not provide an arrest memo, details of any charges or a subsequent release update. It also does not include a police explanation for Kejriwal’s detention.
