Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Oct 2: More than 700 protesters, including former Delhi chief minister Atishi, AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj and AISA national president Neha Bora, were detained in Delhi on Friday as police moved to prevent demonstrations at Jantar Mantar against the Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The mobilisation was organised by the All India Students’ Association (AISA), Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), along with activists and political leaders. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) separately called for a protest and urged its supporters to join the mobilisation on Gandhi Jayanti.
The protesters are demanding Kumar’s resignation over the functioning of the Election Commission and its handling of electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Opposition groups and student organisations have alleged irregularities in the revision process and raised concerns over the deletion of voters from electoral rolls.
Delhi police had denied permission for the proposed October 2 protest and imposed restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in the New Delhi district. The order restricts unauthorised gatherings, demonstrations, processions and slogan-shouting.
Several protesters attempting to reach Jantar Mantar from the Ashoka Road side were stopped by police and taken away in buses. Heavy barricading was placed on roads leading towards the protest site, while Delhi police and Central Armed Police Forces personnel were deployed at multiple points.
SFI and DYFI members also gathered separately to protest against the Election Commission and the SIR exercise. The organisations had planned to mobilise around 1,500 people at Jantar Mantar despite not receiving police permission.
AISA national president Neha Bora was among those detained during the police action. SFI and DYFI members were also held, while political activist Yogendra Yadav was detained as well.
Saurabh Bharadwaj was detained from the protest site. On X, he said he had been “arrested from Jantar Mantar” and shared slogans linked to the campaign against alleged “vote chori”. He also shared a video from inside the police bus.
Bharadwaj had earlier said the party had sought permission for the protest and maintained that those taking part were exercising their “democratic right to raise our concerns”.
Police officials on duty said they were acting on instructions from senior officers.
Former Delhi chief minister Atishi was also seen on a police bus as she was taken away. In a post on X, she wrote, “Detained by Modi ji’s Delhi Police from Jantar Mantar.”
The AAP later posted a video showing her detention. “Delhi Assembly Leader of Opposition [Atishi] ji, who was peacefully protesting against vote theft, has been arrested by the Delhi Police. Prime Minister Modi ji, this country will not run on dictatorship. The vote thief Gyanesh Kumar will have to resign.”
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Manoj Jha was also detained amid heightened security arrangements in Delhi. He was taken towards the Badarpur border. CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat also took part in the protests at Jantar Mantar.
AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha and party workers were also detained during the police action, while AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh was stopped from proceeding towards the protest site.
The police action was accompanied by extensive restrictions on communications and public transport around central Delhi. Mobile internet services were suspended from 9 am to 9 pm within an approximately 1.5-km radius of Jantar Mantar.
The security measures also affected Delhi Metro and road traffic. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) initially announced the closure of entry and exit at 11 stations, with Barakhamba later added to the list, taking the total to 12.
The affected stations included Janpath, Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat, Rajiv Chowk, Seva Teerth, Mandi House, Lok Kalyan Marg, INA, Chawri Bazar, Ramakrishna Ashram Marg, New Delhi and Barakhamba. Interchange facilities remained available at some stations.
Delhi Traffic police also imposed diversions and restrictions around Connaught Place, Patel Chowk, GPO, Tolstoy Marg, Jantar Mantar Road, Parliament Street and Ashoka Road. Commuters were advised to avoid the affected stretches.
Security personnel were deployed at several points, including Minto Road and roads approaching central Delhi. Barricades were also placed on the DND carriageway towards Delhi, with vehicles being stopped and occupants questioned about their destinations, according to people at the site.
The barricading slowed traffic on some stretches, with vehicles being channelled through reduced road space.
NSUI workers stopped near Jantar Mantar
NSUI workers, led by national president Vinod Jhakhar, also marched towards Jantar Mantar but were stopped by police and multiple layers of barricading.
Around 200 workers raised slogans of “Gyanesh Kumar Go Back”. After around 15 minutes, police announced that the gathering was unauthorised and warned protesters that action could be taken if they did not leave the area.
Why protesters are demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation
The October 2 mobilisation is part of continuing protests over the Election Commission’s functioning and the Special Intensive Revision exercise, under which electoral rolls are being revised.
The protesting organisations have accused the Election Commission of irregularities in the electoral-roll revision process and raised concerns over its impact on voters. The Election Commission has maintained that the revision exercise is intended to update electoral rolls and address issues including duplicate and ineligible entries.
The Delhi protests came amid similar mobilisation elsewhere, with opposition parties, student organisations and civil society groups continuing to raise concerns over the SIR exercise and demand greater scrutiny of the Election Commission’s handling of electoral rolls.