India
oi-Ashish Rana
Police detained around 150 protesters on Saturday as they marched towards Jantar Mantar from Patel Chowk to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Those detained included AISA national president Neha Bora, activist Yogendra Yadav and senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, an official said.
On Saturday, about 150 protesters, including AISA president Neha Bora and activist Yogendra Yadav, were detained near Jantar Mantar demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and protesting electoral roll SIR irregularities. Police had detained nearly 1,000 protesters on Friday and filed FIRs related to earlier demonstrations.
AISA members said Bora was accompanied by students and several prominent lawyers, including Kapil Sibal, Nitya Ramakrishnan, Pallav Sisodia and Prashant Bhushan. Activist Yogendra Yadav also participated in the march.
The police action began as the protesters gathered near Jantar Mantar, with security personnel deployed at multiple locations. Barricades were also placed on roads connecting to the protest site.
AISA alleged that Bora was manhandled by a male police officer during the detentions and claimed another Delhi Police officer abused her. The allegations could not be independently verified immediately.
Protest Over SIR, Demand For CEC’s Resignation
The fresh mobilisation came after Bora, who was among those detained on Friday, called on activists to return to Jantar Mantar at 1 pm and continue their protest demanding Kumar’s resignation and raising concerns over the SIR of electoral rolls.
The development comes a day after nearly 1,000 protesters were detained from Jantar Mantar and surrounding areas as police and paramilitary personnel prevented large groups from reaching the protest site. Many of those detained were subsequently released.
Delhi Police has registered at least three FIRs in connection with Friday’s protests, two 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 duly promulgated by a public servant.
FIRs Registered Over Friday’s Protest
No individual or organisation has been named as an accused in the FIRs, though details of the organisers and organisations that proposed or participated in the demonstrations have been mentioned in their contents, a senior police officer said.
The FIRs relate to alleged violations of prohibitory orders imposed across the New Delhi district under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which prohibited gatherings of five or more people, processions, demonstrations, picketing, dharnas and slogan shouting without prior written permission.
On Friday evening, Bora said in a video message that the protest would continue and urged activists to return to Jantar Mantar. She said the detentions would not intimidate protesters and called for continued mobilisation in support of the demand for Kumar’s resignation.
Police Security Tightened Around Jantar Mantar
The protesters are opposing the SIR exercise and alleging irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls. Delhi Police had denied permission for Friday’s gathering and imposed heightened security measures in central Delhi.
Several roads were barricaded and entry and exit at a number of Metro stations in the vicinity of Jantar Mantar were temporarily restricted during Friday’s protest.
The second day’s mobilisation saw continued police deployment around Jantar Mantar as AISA and other groups pressed ahead with their protest.
Election Commissioners Raise SIR Concerns
The demonstration comes days after The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected on record at least 14 times over the last 10 months to decisions and orders on the SIR that they said were issued without their knowledge or recommendation.
Under fire over the red flags raised by two of its commissioners over the SIR process, the EC has asserted that differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberations in any institution and that all its orders carry full legal sanction and follow established statutory procedures.
