New Delhi: More than 700 protesters, including AAP leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj, Sanjeev Jha, Atishi, as well as activists of some student outfits, were detained by the Delhi Police during a protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar at Jantar Mantar on Friday.
Political parties and members of AISA, SFI, NSUI and other student bodies are protesting in demand of Kumar’s resignation over the alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the mass deletion of voters.
In a post on X, Bharadwaj said he and Jha were detained despite the peaceful protest. He urged party workers and supporters to continue the agitation and reach Jantar Mantar.
Around 700 people from SFI tried to reach Jantar Mantar and were stopped at the Ashoka Road roundabout, with many of them detained, a police source said, as reported by PTI.
Around 700 protesters, including AAP leaders, AISA, SFI and other student organisations, were detained from and near Jantar Mantar, another police official said.
Internet services have also been suspended at the protest site and in the surrounding areas.
Several DYFI and SFI activists have been detained, SFI general secretary Aishe Ghosh said.
“Delhi Police is not being able to stop crimes in the capital but when it comes to protection of someone like Gyanesh Kumar, they get down on the streets,” she said.
“This is not democracy. If police think they can stop the movement by detaining us, we want to tell them that this is just the start,” Aishe said.
The police used force against protesters, including women, during the detentions, AISA activists alleged.
“No matter how much lathi charge you use or no matter how many of us you put in jail, Gyanesh Kumar has to resign,” a member of the outfit said, while being detained near Jantar Mantar.
The police action was aimed at stopping people from raising questions over the electoral process, the CPI(ML) Liberation-affiliated student organisation alleged.
The detainees included several NSUI activists, including its national president Vinod Jakhar.
Jakhar was detained during a foot march from the organisation’s office towards Jantar Mantar. In a post on X, he alleged that several NSUI activists were taken into custody, claiming that activists were subjected to police action during the march.
“The voice of the people’s votes cannot be suppressed by the might of any power,” he wrote, adding that the organisation’s “peaceful struggle for democracy” would continue.
Protesters were also seen crossing barricades at Firoz Shah Road.
Bharadwaj said police told them that permission had not been granted for the protest, but questioned why permission was needed to hold a demonstration in a democracy when Jantar Mantar is a designated protest site.
The party had submitted letters seeking protest permission about a week earlier. Bhardwaj said, “We are exercising our democratic right to raise our concerns.”
Several metro stations near Jantar Mantar had been closed, he said, urging people to travel to the nearest open one and, if possible, walk to the protest site.
The Delhi Metro has closed entry and exit at 12 stations, including Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat, and Jantar Mantar.