Geeta Pandey
Reporting from Jantar Mantar, Delhi

One of the early protesters, Sabika Muzaffar, arrived with her mother at Jantar Mantar and said they expected to be detained.

“On the way to the protest site, instead of reciting hymns and verses as we usually do, my mother and I were rote learning our lawyer’s number.”

She said that showing up to protest was "her way of defending the country and its democracy".

A few minutes after the BBC spoke to Muzaffar, police took her away in what appeared to be a detention.

Azadeh Moshiri
Reporting from Jantar Mantar, Delhi

Thousands of protesters gathered in Mumbai last week for Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) first large-scale protest since the summer. Like today’s demonstration, it was unauthorised.

But this time, the response from authorities is of a different scale.

Beyond the heavy security presence, dozens of metro stations have been shut. Loudspeakers have been blaring a reminder that there is a ban on gatherings of five people or more in parts of Delhi, and there are reports of reduced train services to the capital.

On the eve of the protest, a group of senior lawyers told the Supreme Court this was an unprecedented “shutting down” of the capital.

The police crackdown this summer on CJP protesters is still fresh in people’s minds. Images of young protesters teargassed and hit with batons spurred an even larger turnout.

I met parents who joined the protests, telling me they were there to protect the students around them.

That experience will loom large today. How the authorities handle any confrontation could shape the course of the days ahead.

Geeta Pandey
Reporting from Jantar Mantar, Delhi

Delhi feels like it is under siege, with barricades and diversions on major roads leading to the city centre. A journey that would normally take 15 minutes took me an hour and 10 minutes this morning.

At Jantar Mantar, thousands of police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed. The main protest site has been cordoned off with metal barricades and ropes, keeping people out.

Announcements asking people to co-operate with the police can be heard constantly over loudspeakers at the traffic roundabout.

Delhi had been put on high alert ahead of the protests, with thousands of security personnel deployed across the Indian capital.

According to reports, around 23,000 central security personnel have been called in to assist the city police with maintaining law and order over the weekend.

Police have put up barricades around Jantar Mantar - the planned protest site - and along roads leading to the Election Commission office and key buildings nearby.

More surprising are the larger restrictions - several trains to and from major Delhi stations have been cancelled and dozens of metro stations have been closed from Friday night.

This means even people who don't plan to attend the protests will have a tough time travelling on Saturday.

These restrictions remain in place despite the Supreme Court asking the Delhi Police on Friday not to inconvenience the people of Delhi by shutting down public transport.

Authorities have also closed liquor shops on Friday and Saturday as a “preventative” step to maintain public order.

Delhi has seen large protests many times over the years, but it is rare for such overarching restrictions to be imposed.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, NurPhoto via Getty Images

The Cockroach Janta Party, or CJP, started as an internet joke.

Founded in May by Abhijeet Dipke, the group emerged as a satirical collective after remarks by India's senior-most judge comparing some unemployed young people to cockroaches.

But the joke soon turned serious, tapping into anger over unemployment, exam paper leaks and government accountability.

The group made headlines with protests over alleged irregularities in a key medical entrance exam, forcing then-Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign in July.

Now, the CJP has a new target - India's Election Commission. It accuses the commission of unfairly removing eligible voters from electoral rolls - an allegation the organisation denies.

Protesters are attempting to march to Jantar Mantar - an 18th century astronomical observatory and the Indian capital's best-known protest site - to demand electoral reforms and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

They accuse Kumar of manipulating voter rolls to benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Both the Election Commission and BJP deny the allegations.

The Cockroach Janta Party's protest call has been backed by several other organisations, so the expectation was of huge crowds reaching the site.

But police have been detaining people near Jantar Mantar, so we haven't seen any larger crowds yet. Many people may also be deterred by the heavy travel restrictions and police presence in place across the city.

Image source, Reuters

India's Gen Z-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) says its main leaders, including founder Abhijeet Dipke, have been detained from Delhi airport on their way to a protest march in the city.

The government or Delhi Poice have not commented on the CJP's claim yet.

Dozens of others have also been detained in Delhi, while many people have been stopped on their way to attend the protest.

Protesters are demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and calling for electoral reforms. Security has been tightened across Delhi, with restrictions in place in several areas.

Stay with us as we bring you live updates throughout the day.