New Delhi, Oct 2: More than 500 protesters, including Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and members of several student organisations, were detained by Delhi Police during a protest at Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Friday.
The protest was organised over allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and alleged large-scale deletion of voters. Protesters and opposition groups demanded the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
Among those detained were AAP leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj, Sanjeev Jha, Atishi and Sanjay Singh, along with activists from the All India Students’ Association (AISA), Students’ Federation of India (SFI), National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and other organisations.
AAP Leaders Detained During Jantar Mantar Protest
Delhi Police stopped AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh at North Avenue and prevented him from proceeding towards the protest venue, according to the details released by the party.
Saurabh Bharadwaj and Sanjeev Jha were also detained after reaching the protest area. Bharadwaj said the demonstration was intended to be peaceful and urged AAP workers and supporters to continue raising their concerns.
The protest had been planned at Jantar Mantar amid opposition to the Election Commission’s handling of the SIR exercise. Delhi Police had earlier said that permission had not been granted for the proposed gathering.
Student Groups Join Protest Against CEC Gyanesh Kumar
Several student organisations also took part in the Jantar Mantar protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
A police source said around 700 SFI members attempted to reach Jantar Mantar and were stopped near the Ashoka Road roundabout. Many of them were subsequently detained.
Police later said that around 500 protesters from AAP, AISA, SFI and other student organisations had been detained from Jantar Mantar and nearby areas.
SFI general secretary Aishe Ghosh said that several SFI and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) activists were detained. She criticised the police action and said the organisations would continue their protest.
Several NSUI activists were also detained from the protest site.
Protesters Raise Concerns Over SIR and Voter Deletions
The protesters have raised concerns over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, alleging that eligible voters could be affected by the exercise.
The Election Commission’s SIR process has become a major political issue, with opposition parties and civil society groups questioning aspects of the voter-roll revision. The Election Commission and its supporters have defended the exercise as part of the process of verifying electoral rolls and removing ineligible or duplicate entries.
AAP leaders and other protesters have demanded action against CEC Gyanesh Kumar over what they describe as irregularities in the electoral-roll revision process.
Bharadwaj Questions Need for Protest Permission
In a video message, Saurabh Bharadwaj said police officials told protesters that permission had not been granted for the demonstration.
He questioned why permission was required to hold a peaceful demonstration at Jantar Mantar, which is a designated protest location. Bharadwaj said the party had submitted letters seeking permission around a week before the protest.
He said the protesters were exercising what they described as their democratic right to raise concerns over the electoral process.
Delhi Police, however, had maintained that permission had not been granted for the October 2 gathering and had increased security around central Delhi ahead of the protest.
Security Tightened Around Jantar Mantar
Security was heavily tightened in and around Jantar Mantar ahead of the protest. Police erected barricades and deployed additional personnel to prevent unauthorised gatherings.
Prohibitory restrictions were also imposed in parts of New Delhi under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), according to reports.
Protesters were seen crossing barricades at Firoz Shah Road as police attempted to control the gathering.
Delhi Metro Stations Closed
The protest also affected public transport in central Delhi.
Entry and exit gates at several Delhi Metro stations were closed as part of security measures around Jantar Mantar and nearby areas. Reports said stations including Rajiv Chowk and Central Secretariat were among those affected.
Internet services were also reported to have been suspended around the protest site.
Protest Over Electoral Rolls Continues
The Jantar Mantar protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar comes amid a wider political dispute over the Election Commission’s SIR exercise and electoral-roll revisions.
AAP, student organisations and other groups have called for continued protests, while the Election Commission’s position on the electoral-roll revision remains central to the ongoing debate.
As police detained hundreds of protesters in Delhi on October 2, the issue of voter-list revisions, the functioning of the Election Commission and the demand for accountability remained at the centre of the demonstration.
