Delhi protesters sought refuge in public facilities amid detentions

Demonstrators opposing India's chief election commissioner tried to evade detention in Delhi on October 10 by sheltering in a public washroom and around Bangla Sahib gurdwara, The Hindu and The Tribune reported.

More than 20 young protesters spent the night in an NDMC washroom in Connaught Place, hoping to reach Jantar Mantar. Police found them during morning checks and took them away in detention vehicles.

The report said the washroom normally closes at 10 p.m. and reopens at 6 a.m. The claim that some demonstrators forced open its door was presented as an allegation, rather than a court-established fact.

Another group stayed overnight around Bangla Sahib. Demonstrators emerged onto nearby streets and retreated into the gurdwara premises as police approached. Several people were detained in the vicinity.

The Hindu reported that police asked representatives of the religious site not to admit protesters. It quoted a representative as saying they were unarmed and were not chanting inside. That response expresses one interviewee's position, rather than an established agreement between all parties.

Youth and student groups also moved from Baba Kharak Singh Road towards Ashoka Road. Elsewhere, CPI(M) politicians were detained after leaving Kerala House to join the demonstration.

The report described deployment of more than 30,000 police and paramilitary personnel, closure of 45 metro stations and restrictions on 30 road stretches. Checks extended to city borders, railway stations, bus terminals and hotels.

CJP and other Left groups organised the protest to demand Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation and reversal of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, citing alleged irregularities. Those allegations are not established judicial findings.