New Delhi: Protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar intensified in Delhi on Sunday, with multiple groups taking to the streets despite heavy police deployment and barricading around central Delhi.
The day began with protests by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), followed by the Citizens’ March called by AISA and activist Yogendra Yadav from India Gate towards Jantar Mantar. The demonstrations focused on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and allegations of police misconduct during Saturday’s protests.
AAP Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj and other party workers were detained after being stopped near India Gate. At the same time, AISA activists led by national president Neha Bora faced police barricades while attempting to move towards Jantar Mantar. Protesters later broke through some barricades, leading to further detentions.
The situation escalated when protesters blocked a police bus carrying detained activists and broke one of its windows. Bora was subsequently taken into custody. AISA alleged that she was taken away in an unauthorised vehicle without a woman police officer and said her whereabouts were initially unknown. She was later released from Narela Industrial Area Police Station.
The protests also centred on allegations of sexual harassment involving three women journalists during Saturday’s demonstration. The complaints have been transferred to the Delhi Police Crime Branch for investigation. Protesters, including CJP representatives, demanded an FIR and action against the police personnel named in the allegations.
CJP activists and lawyers staged a protest outside Parliament Street Police Station, with a delegation accompanying one of the complainants inside the station. CJP legal affairs head Ratna Singh later alleged that police refused to register an FIR, saying officers told them the Crime Branch was already investigating the matter. The allegation has not been independently established.
The Press Club of India (PCI) also criticised the treatment of journalists and called on Delhi Police to act on the complaints while allowing journalists to cover protests without obstruction.
Meanwhile, the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) began its own march towards Jantar Mantar in the evening, with hundreds of activists participating under the leadership of IYC president Uday Bhanu. The marchers demanded Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and sought to “reclaim” Jantar Mantar as a protest site.
The protests were not confined to Delhi. In Mumbai, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray joined a joint demonstration demanding the rollback of the SIR and action against the Election Commission.
With protests continuing for a third consecutive day, the central issue remains the demand for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over the SIR exercise, alongside growing concerns raised by protesters and journalists over police handling of the demonstrations. Delhi Police had deployed thousands of personnel and imposed extensive barricading around Jantar Mantar ahead of Sunday’s marches.
(With inputs from agencies)