Amid stir against election chief, protester thrashed, stones thrown at bus of detainees

Protesters clash with police near Baba Kharak Singh Marg. (Photo: Gajendra Yadav)

Even as the movement remained restricted in the Capital amid stringent security checks following a protest call by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and All India Students’ Association (AISA) against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, tense moments unfolded near Palika Bazar in New Delhi on Saturday.

“Long live Delhi Police! Long live Gyanesh Kumar!”: a group of 20 people raised slogans as they surrounded a young protester around 2 pm and started beating him. “We’ll slap anyone who abuses (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi. Gyanesh Kumar should be awarded the Bharat Ratna, and if Delhi Police are beating people, they’re doing the right thing,” said one of the group members.

Senior police officers said that they have not received any complaints but have taken cognisance of the videos being circulated online of the incident. The incident is being probed, an officer said.

Protesters being chased by security personnel at Connaught Place on Saturday. (Photo: Praveen Khanna)

Meanwhile, another footage showed some people throwing stones at a bus holding detainees in Jhandewalan.

The incidents came as Delhi was turned into a fortress after the CJP and student outfit AISA called for a protest against the alleged discrepancies in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision exercise of voter rolls. Among the thousands detained were CJP founder Abhijit Dipke, his colleague Saurav Das, and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee.

Protesters being chased by security personnel at Connaught Place on Saturday. (Photo: Praveen Khanna)

In a video posted on X on Saturday night, CJP’s national organisation in-charge Ajinkya Shinde, who has been tasked to lead the protests by the youth platform following Dipke’s detention, said the protest will resume on Sunday.  “Why did we go to Jantar Mantar? We wanted to seek the right to vote on behalf of 11 crore electors whose right has been taken away by Gyanesh Kumar.  But Delhi Police detained Abhijit Dipke, Saurav Das and other leaders. They must have thought we would leave for homes over the fear of detention.”

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“Unless Gyanesh Kumar resigns, we won’t go back home. Tomorrow again, we will march to Jantar Mantar at 10 am. If Delhi Police stops you, start your protest right there, and turn that spot into Jantar Mantar. We won’t budge till Gyanesh Kumar resigns,” he added.