The protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls continued on Wednesday, with Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka being remanded to five days of judicial custody.
Delhi Police have invoked charges including trespassing, violation of prohibitory orders, breach of a peace bond and obstructing a public servant from discharging official duties against CJP leaders detained at Jantar Mantar. Das and Ranka had signed bonds undertaking to maintain peace for a year after they were detained on October 10, ahead of a planned protest at Jantar Mantar.
CJP leader Ajinkya Shinde criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the arrests of the organisation’s leaders.
In a separate development, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said 11 members detained by Delhi Police had been released. In a post on X, Dipke shared a photograph of the members waving the Tricolour following their release. He has also announced a “Lehra do Tiranga” protest march at Connaught Place on October 16.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged students who alleged police brutality during the protests to preserve video footage and other visual evidence. He assured them that the Congress would handle the legal formalities involved in filing a case against the police. Gandhi said police personnel who allegedly assaulted students would face action.
Protesters affiliated with the Students' Federation of India (SFI) and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) broke barricades on Hiroshah Road and moved towards Jantar Mantar, demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. They said the alleged police brutality would not deter them from continuing their agitation.
On the legal front, the Supreme Court is likely to hear on Thursday a petition filed by Rahul Gandhi and 12 other INDIA bloc leaders challenging the Election Commission of India’s conduct of the SIR exercise.
The petition seeks disclosure of the poll panel’s records relating to key decisions on the revision, safeguards against voter deletions without notice or a reasonable opportunity for a hearing, an independent audit of electoral-roll changes and an interim suspension of the ongoing exercise.