New Delhi: The Delhi Police detained more than 500 protesters, including AAP leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj, Sanjeev Jha, Atishi and Sanjay Singh, as well as activists of some student outfits, during a protest against the CEC at Jantar Mantar on Friday.
Political parties and members of AISA, SFI, NSUI and other student bodies are protesting to demand Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over the alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and mass deletion of voters.
Police said they stopped AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh at North Avenue, preventing him from proceeding to the protest site.
Bharadwaj, in a post on X, said he and Jha were detained despite the peaceful protest. He urged party workers and supporters to continue the agitation and reach Jantar Mantar.
A source in the police said around 700 people from SFI tried to reach Jantar Mantar and were stopped at the Ashoka Road roundabout, with many of them detained.
Another police official said around 500 protesters, including AAP leaders, AISA, SFI and other student organisations, were detained from and near Jantar Mantar. Earlier, an official had said the number of detainees was about 150.
Internet services have also been suspended at the protest site and in the surrounding areas.
SFI general secretary Aishe Ghosh said several DYFI and SFI activists have been detained.
“Delhi Police is not being able to stop crimes in the capital but when it comes to protection of someone like Gyanesh Kumar, they get down on the streets,” Ghosh said.
She added, “This is not democracy. If police think they can stop the movement by detaining us, we want to tell them that this is just the start.”
Several NSUI activists were also detained from the site.
Protesters were also seen crossing barricades at Firoz Shah Road.
In a video message, Bharadwaj said police told them that permission had not been granted for the protest, but questioned why permission was needed to hold a demonstration in a democracy when Jantar Mantar is a designated protest site.
He also said the party had submitted letters seeking protest permission about a week earlier. Bharadwaj said, “We are exercising our democratic right to raise our concerns.”
He said several metro stations near Jantar Mantar had been closed and appealed to people to travel to the nearest open metro station and, if possible, walk to the protest site.
The Delhi Metro has closed entry and exit at 12 stations, including Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat, and Jantar Mantar. Internet services have also been suspended around Jantar Mantar.
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