New Delhi, October 3: Around 150 protesters, including AISA national president Neha Bora, activist Yogendra Yadav and senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, were detained on Saturday while marching from Patel Chowk towards Jantar Mantar to protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and demand his resignation, an official said.
AISA members said senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Nitya Ramakrishnan, Pallav Sisodia and Prashant Bhushan, along with activist Yogendra Yadav, joined Bora and other students during the march.
Police began detaining protesters as they gathered near the protest site. Security personnel were deployed at multiple points, while barricades were placed on roads leading towards Jantar Mantar.
AISA members alleged that a male police officer manhandled Bora during the police action and that another Delhi Police officer verbally abused her. The allegations could not be independently verified immediately.
Saturday's mobilisation came a day after Bora, who was among those detained during Friday's protest, called on activists to return to Jantar Mantar at 1 pm and continue the demonstration demanding Kumar's resignation and raising concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The fresh protest followed the detention of nearly 1,000 people from Jantar Mantar and surrounding areas on Friday, when police and paramilitary personnel prevented large groups from reaching the designated 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), relating to alleged disobedience of an order duly promulgated by a public servant.
A senior police officer said no individual or organisation had been named as an accused in the FIRs. However, details of organisers and organisations that proposed or participated in the demonstrations have been mentioned in the complaints.
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). The orders prohibit 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.
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 deployed additional security personnel across central Delhi. Several roads were barricaded, while entry and exit at some Metro stations near Jantar Mantar were temporarily restricted during the protest.
Police deployment continued around Jantar Mantar on Saturday as AISA members and other groups pressed ahead with the demonstration.
The protests come days afterThe Indian Expressreported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected on record at least 14 times over the preceding 10 months to decisions and orders relating to the SIR, which they said had been issued without their knowledge or recommendation.
Amid questions over the objections raised by the two Election Commissioners, the Election Commission has maintained that differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberations within an institution. The poll panel has also asserted that its orders carry full legal sanction and are issued in accordance with established statutory procedures.
