Activists report widespread detentions ahead of nationwide protest

Civil liberties organizations have accused authorities of conducting a coordinated crackdown on activists, with reports of detentions surfacing from across the country ahead of a planned October 10 protest. According to the Coordination of Justice Platform (CJP), the organization's co-in-charge Deepak Baliyan was detained in Rajasthan as part of what the group characterizes as a pattern of preventive arrests.

CJP co-convener Ashutosh Ranka confirmed the detention and alleged that supporters of the planned demonstration have been held in multiple states without clear charges. The organization has framed the detentions as an attempt to obstruct their right to peaceful assembly.

The timing of the alleged crackdown—occurring just days before the scheduled October 10 demonstration—has drawn criticism from human rights advocates who contend that such preventive measures circumvent legal safeguards. Civil society groups have increasingly raised concerns about the use of detention as a tool to suppress political dissent and curtail protest activities.

The CJP and allied organizations have called for the immediate release of detained activists and have pledged to proceed with their planned demonstration despite the alleged police action. The incident underscores ongoing tensions between civil liberties advocates and law enforcement agencies over the scope of permissible protest in the country.