Politics · India Bureau
Delhi Police detain 500+ protesters demanding CEC's resignation
Major demonstration at Jantar Mantar saw mass detentions of AAP leaders and student activists protesting alleged irregularities in electoral roll revision. The action came as opposition parties and student unions demanded Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar step down over voter deletion concerns.
LSN India ·
Delhi Police detained more than 500 protesters on Friday during a demonstration at Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, including senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) figures and members of multiple student organisations.
Among those detained were AAP leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj, Sanjeev Jha, Atishi and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh. Police blocked Singh at North Avenue before he could reach the protest site. The demonstration drew participants from political parties, the Student Federation of India (SFI), All India Students Association (AISA), NSUI and other student bodies.
Protestors called for Kumar's resignation citing alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the mass deletion of voters from the electoral register. Bharadwaj posted on social media following his detention, asserting that the protest had been peaceful and urging party workers and supporters to continue the agitation and proceed to Jantar Mantar.
Police sources indicated that approximately 700 SFI members attempting to reach Jantar Mantar were intercepted at the Ashoka Road roundabout, with significant numbers prevented from advancing toward the demonstration site. The large-scale deployment and detentions underscored heightened security measures around the electoral commission headquarters during the protest action.