New Delhi, Oct 2: More than 700 protesters, including Aam Aadmi Party leaders and activists of several student organisations, were detained by Delhi Police on Friday as a planned demonstration against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar turned into a major protest in and around Jantar Mantar.
The protesters were demanding Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and what they described as the mass deletion of voters’ names.
The protest was called by political parties and student and youth organisations, including the AISA, SFI, NSUI and DYFI. Several groups attempted to reach Jantar Mantar from different parts of central Delhi after police denied permission for the proposed gathering.
According to police, around 700 protesters were detained from Jantar Mantar and nearby areas. An earlier police estimate had put the number at around 150, while another police source said around 700 SFI members attempting to reach the protest site were stopped at the Ashoka Road roundabout.
Former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj, MLA Sanjeev Jha and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh were among those detained or stopped by police. AISA national president Neha Bora and activists from SFI, NSUI and other student organisations were also taken into custody.
Sanjay Singh was stopped at North Avenue while he was on his way to Jantar Mantar. He later staged a sit-in near the Mahatma Gandhi statue inside the Parliament complex, raising the issue of what he described as “vote theft”. He said the protest would continue despite the police action.
Protesters raised slogans targeting Kumar and the government’s handling of the electoral-roll revision. Among the slogans reported from the demonstration were “Ek kachori, do samosa, Gyanesh tumhara kya bharosa” and “Gali-gali mein shor hai, Modi-Gyanesh vote chor hai”. Protesters also raised slogans of “Vote Chor Gaadi Chor” and “Jai Bhim”.
The Indian Youth Congress also joined the mobilisation. Its activists marched from the organisation’s office on Raisina Road towards Jantar Mantar, carrying banners and posters demanding accountability from the Election Commission. Some protesters wore masks bearing images of Kumar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Police had refused permission for the proposed Jantar Mantar demonstration, citing security concerns and the expected turnout. Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita were imposed across the New Delhi district, while additional police and Central Armed Police Forces personnel were deployed at key points.
Barricades were erected around Jantar Mantar and adjoining roads. Some protesters were seen attempting to cross barricades on Firoz Shah Road as police tried to prevent them from reaching the designated protest area. Student organisations alleged that police used force during the detentions. The allegation could not be independently verified.
Security measures also affected public transport in central Delhi. Entry and exit at several Metro stations, including Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat and Jantar Mantar, were closed as part of the security arrangements. Internet services were also suspended around the protest site, according to reports.
The protesters’ demands are linked to the ongoing controversy over the SIR exercise and electoral-roll revisions. Opposition parties and student groups have alleged that the revision process has resulted in large-scale deletion of voters’ names and have questioned the functioning of the Election Commission.
The Election Commission, however, has maintained that the electoral-roll revision is being conducted according to established procedures and has rejected allegations of unilateral decision-making in matters concerning the SIR.
The Delhi demonstration came on the same day as a separate CJP protest at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park. The Cockroach Janta Party, led by Abhijeet Dipke, has also demanded Kumar’s resignation and announced plans for a wider campaign against the Election Commission.
With protesters detained at several locations and restrictions imposed across central Delhi, the Jantar Mantar agitation brought the dispute over electoral-roll revision and the functioning of the poll panel back into the centre of public debate.
