As activists try to return to Jantar Mantar, around 150 detained amid heavy security

Police detain activist Neha Bora during a protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar near Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Saturday. (Express Photo By Praveen Khanna)

For the second consecutive day, protesters demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and raising concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls were stopped from reaching Jantar Mantar, the designated protest site, on Saturday.

Around 150 people, including AISA national president Neha Bora, activist Yogendra Yadav, and senior advocate Prashant Bhushan were detained.

The police action drew a response from Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who alleged that there were allegations of misconduct with women protesters during Saturday’s demonstration.

In a post on X, Gandhi referred to a female journalist’s allegation against a police officer. “And this isn’t the first time – we’ve seen video evidence before of police officers engaging in disgusting misconduct with women,” said Gandhi.

He said that Delhi Police comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs, and added that Union Home Minister Amit Shah should “answer for this”.

After the journalist alleged that Delhi Police was not registering an FIR, several people allegedly squatted outside the Parliament Street police station. Later, a policemen told the gathering that the journalist’s complaint has been received and a probe was underway.

The protesters had gathered near Patel Chowk and began marching towards Jantar Mantar, a day after around 550 people were detained while attempting to reach the designated protest site. Police had denied permission for Friday’s demonstration and imposed prohibitory orders in the New Delhi district.

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Saturday’s mobilisation followed a call by Bora after she was among those detained on Friday. Among those joining her were Congress leader Kapil Sibal, advocates Nitya Ramakrishnan and Pallav Sisodia, Bhushan and Yadav, besides members of student and civil society groups.

Police began detaining protesters as they gathered and attempted to move towards Jantar Mantar. Multiple layers of barricades were put up on roads leading to the area, while police and paramilitary

personnel were deployed at several points. Those detained were taken to different police stations across Delhi and later released, police said.

AISA members alleged that a male police officer manhandled Bora and that another officer abused her. The police, however, rejected the allegations.

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Meanwhile, Delhi Police has registered three FIRs against unidentified persons in connection with the attempts to hold the demonstration on Friday. Two FIRs were registered at Parliament Street police station and one at Connaught Place police station.

The FIRs invoke provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to disobedience of an order issued by a public servant, obstruction of a public servant in the discharge of duty, use of criminal force against a public servant and acts committed by several people in furtherance of a common intention. By afternoon, a familiar sight had returned to Central Delhi: barricades blocking the roads towards Jantar Mantar, police and paramilitary personnel deployed across the area, buses waiting to take detainees away, and groups of protesters attempting to regroup.

CPI MP writes to Shah over cops ‘concealing’ IDs

Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (CPI) Rajya Sabha member P Sandosh Kumar on Saturday wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, flagging the issue of Delhi Police personnel “removing or concealing their identity tags and name badges before detaining or using force against protesters”. The letter comes a day after more than 500 protesters were detained while making their way towards Jantar Mantar during a protest demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the revision of voter rolls.

In his letter, Kumar sought Shah’s intervention into repeated use of violence, arbitrary detentions, manhandling and other unlawful practices by the Delhi Police while dealing with democratic protests.

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Kumar said he himself was detained on Friday along with CPI workers and cadres of the All India Students’ Federation (AISF) and the All India Youth Federation (AIYF).

Kumar called for an investigation into the use of force, arbitrary detentions, removal or concealment of identity badges, manhandling of protesters, deployment of plain-clothes personnel and the use of facial-recognition systems.

He urged the Home Minister to ensure that police personnel deployed at Jantar Mantar remain identifiable and accountable and that constitutional safeguards, Supreme Court directives and Delhi Police’s own rules are strictly followed.