Nearly 500 detained; Supreme Court to hear CEC case today
NEW DELHI, OCT 4 (AGENCIES): Protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar intensified on Sunday, with thousands of youth protesters and opposition supporters rallying in Delhi and Mumbai over changes to voter rolls. Police detained demonstrators for the third consecutive day.
In Delhi, protesters attempting to reach Jantar Mantar confronted police barricades on Ashoka Road. Police stopped the march and detained nearly 500 people, including AISA activists and AAP workers, although a Delhi Police official said 110 detentions had been recorded. AISA president Neha Bora was among those detained, while AAP workers, including Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj, were detained at India Gate.
The protests are part of a wider agitation over alleged irregularities in the Election Commission’s functioning, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and alleged mass deletion of voters. Senior advocates Prashant Bhushan and Kapil Sibal also participated in the protest.
AISA members alleged that Bora was taken away in a private vehicle without an official number plate and that no woman police officer was present in the vehicle. The organisation said her whereabouts were initially unknown.
The protests also triggered controversy over allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct by police personnel during Saturday’s demonstrations. Three women identifying themselves as journalists complained that they were manhandled and sexually harassed by police officers while covering the protests near Jantar Mantar on October 3.
CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat criticised the police response and questioned the reported demand for video evidence before registration of an FIR. Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, also criticised the alleged police conduct and demanded accountability.
The agitation followed a report in The Indian Express that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally raised objections on at least 14 occasions over 10 months regarding decisions concerning electoral rolls, voter registration and the Commission’s technology systems.
Demonstrations were also held in Mumbai, where protesters demanded Kumar’s resignation over the SIR exercise and alleged changes to voter rolls.
The agitation is set to continue in Delhi, with the Supreme Court scheduled to hear on Monday a batch of pleas seeking CEC Kumar’s suspension over the issue.