Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Oct 4: Nearly 200 protesters were detained in connection with Saturday's demonstration at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, officials said.
The protesters, including members of student organisations and civil society groups, attempted to gather at Jantar Mantar despite prohibitory orders imposed across the New Delhi district. Among those detained were AISA national president Neha Bora, civil society activist Yogendra Yadav and senior advocate Prashant Bhushan.
The AISA said senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Nitya Ramakrishnan and Pallav Sisodia also joined the protest.
The latest mobilisation came a day after nearly 1,000 people were detained during protests in and around Jantar Mantar. Many of those detained on Friday were subsequently released.
On Saturday, protesters marched from Patel Chowk towards Jantar Mantar, where police and paramilitary personnel had erected barricades and deployed additional forces to prevent them from reaching the designated protest area. Several protesters were detained as they gathered near the protest site and were taken to different police stations, officials said.
The protests were organised over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with demonstrators demanding Kumar's resignation.
AISA national president Neha Bora had called for fresh mobilisation on Saturday evening, urging activists to return to Jantar Mantar and continue the protest against the CEC.
AAP's student wing, the Association of Students for Alternative Politics (ASAP), also staged a protest. The outfit alleged that some of its volunteers were detained and taken around different parts of Delhi in a bus for several hours before being taken to Jafarpur police station.
AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj questioned the continued detention of the student volunteers. There was no immediate response from Delhi Police to the allegations.
Delhi Police had registered at least three FIRs in connection with Friday's protests. Two FIRs were registered at Parliament Street police station and one at Connaught Place police station under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for alleged disobedience of an order promulgated by a public servant.
Police also invoked Sections 221, 132 and 3(5) of the BNS in connection with Friday's protests. The provisions deal with obstructing a public servant, assault or use of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging official duties, and acts carried out by several persons in furtherance of a common intention.
Ahead of Friday's protest, police had imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) across the New Delhi district. The order prohibits gatherings of five or more people, processions, demonstrations, picketing, dharnas and slogan shouting without prior written permission.
Around 5,000 police and paramilitary personnel, including more than 10 companies of paramilitary forces, were deployed in central Delhi on Friday. Barricades were erected at several locations and drones were used to monitor crowded areas.
Police had received inputs that around 4,000 to 5,000 people could gather for the protest, officials said.
The protests come amid a wider political debate over the SIR exercise. The Election Commission has maintained that differing views within the poll panel are part of institutional deliberations and that its orders follow established statutory procedures.