‘Jantar Mantar 2.0 Is On’: Protests Intensify Against Gyanesh Kumar & Alleged Sexual Harassment Of Journalists

Delhi protests continue

New Delhi/Mumbai: There was no end to protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

In the National capital, there were also demonstrations over no action against Delhi Police personnel who have been accused of allegedly harassing three women journalists during Saturday’s agitation.

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), student activists and Opposition leaders took out rallies for the third consecutive day in Delhi.

Protesters marched from Andhra Bhawan Circle on Ashoka Road towards Jantar Mantar and raised slogans as they tried to reach the protest site amid an extremely heavy police presence. Over the last two days, hundreds of protesters were detained by police.

On Sunday, protesters clashed with security personnel briefly as police tried to prevent them from crossing the barricades.

Visuals and videos on social media showed All India Students’ Association (AISA) national president Neha Bora attempting to climb over a barricade as police officials tried to prevent her.

“Jantar Mantar 2.0 is on!” AISA said in a post on X.

AISA alleged that Bora was “picked” by the Delhi Police “in an unauthorised vehicle, without a single female constable.”

AISA called for protests from India Gate to Jantar Mantar against alleged “vote theft”.

Their ire was also directed against ACP Vivek Bhagat and other cops, against whom three female journalists complained of sexual harassment.

Sit-in outside Parliament Street PS

Activists, Opposition leaders and CJP members camped outside the Parliament Street police station for hours, demanding action against ACP Bhagat.

Following a sustained sit-in, a delegation including CPI(M) leaders Brinda Karat and Aishe Ghosh, and some others were allowed to meet the DCP, who sought video evidence.

“Protest outside Parliament Street police station against the molestation of a woman journalist by an ACP, and the police’s refusal to even register an FIR. After a sustained sit-in, the police were forced to allow a delegation comprising Comrades Brinda Karat and Aishe Ghosh, among others, to meet the DCP. The DCP asked for video evidence. The fight continues: no impunity for police misconduct, justice for the woman journalist, and accountability for those in uniform,” the CPI(M) posted on X.

No fire against ACP yet, Crime Branch probing complaint

No FIR has been registered yet, the protesters pointed out.

According to Delhi DCP Neha Yadav, AISA and other groups staged a protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) on October 3 despite the imposition of Section 163 of the BNSS in the area. The protesters were asked to vacate the site, but were detained after they refused to comply, the DCP said.

She added that around 6 pm on Saturday, three women “who identified themselves as journalists” submitted a complaint alleging that they were manhandled by Delhi Police officers and staff during the detention. The DCP said the complaint has been registered, medical examinations have been conducted and the matter has been referred to the Crime Branch for investigation. She also appealed to anyone with relevant footage of the incident to share it with the Crime Branch.

CJP member Ratna Singh said Delhi Police took the female journalist, who alleged sexual assault by a senior cop, to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital for a medical examination.

AAP workers & leaders detained

More than a dozen Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers and leaders, including Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj and MLA Sanjeev Jha, were detained by Delhi Police during Sunday’s protest at India Gate.

As they had done the previous day, AAP leaders flagged irregularities in the SIR process and reiterated their demand for resignation of the CEC.

Bharadwaj alleged on X that police turned him upside down at India Gate to hide his face from cameras and shared a photograph of his shoes in the air.

Bharadwaj said concerns over voting rights should be addressed through transparency and facts rather than “silence, pressure or police action.”

‘Scrap SIR, EVMs’, demand Thackeray cousins at Mumbai protest

In Mumbai, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray led a protest march against Gyanesh Kumar, also demanding his resignation.

The Thackeray cousins began a march — dubbed the Virat Garjana Morcha (Grand Roar March) — from the Metro Cinema and traversed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters in south Mumbai. Congress and Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) leaders joined them.

The two leaders alleged that elections have been compromised by Kumar, and demanded the cancellation of the SIR.

“The SIR process in Maharashtra must be completely scrapped. Voting through EVMs (electronic voting machines) in the country should be stopped, and we should go back to voting through ballot papers,” Raj told thousands of supporters.

“I have been saying since 2017-18 that there is something wrong here. The number of votes cannot suddenly decrease,” he said, referring to the deletion of voters after the SIR.

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