At least 37 journalists were detained while covering the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation on October 10 and 11, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Of those detained, 35 were in Delhi. Additionally, over 200 takedown orders were issued by Delhi Police’s cybercrime monitoring department ahead of the protests, targeting online content related to the events, according to medianama.com.
The detentions primarily affected journalists from digital outlets and YouTube channels, many of whom were stopped or held for hours for not carrying Press Information Bureau cards. Meanwhile, some reporters from established media outlets were allowed to cover the protests freely. For example, a BBC Hindi reporter was permitted to proceed after ID verification, while a former NDTV journalist now running a YouTube channel was stopped. The police actions continued even after the Supreme Court directed on October 11 that journalists should not be hindered in their professional duties, as reported by medianama.com.
This incident highlights ongoing tensions between law enforcement and digital journalists in India, especially during politically sensitive events. The use of over 200 takedown orders via the government’s Sahyog portal underscores the increasing control over online protest coverage. The disparity in treatment between traditional media and digital journalists raises concerns about press freedom and equal access to information during public demonstrations, according to medianama.com.
The Committee to Protect Journalists documented the detentions, and medianama.com maintains a live tracker of media restrictions during the protests. The Supreme Court’s October 11 directive aimed to protect journalists’ rights, but enforcement remains inconsistent, as evidenced by continued detentions and content takedowns following the order.