200 protesters detained at Delhi's Jantar Mantar demanding Gyanesh Kumar's exit
Nearly 200 protesters were detained in connection with demonstrations at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, while Delhi Police also registered cases under various legal provisions over the previous day's protest, officials said.
The protests, led by student organisations and civil society groups, continued despite prohibitory orders in the New Delhi district. The latest action came a day after nearly 1,000 people were detained in and around Jantar Mantar, with many of them later released.
Police said the protesters tried to assemble at Jantar Mantar in defiance of the restrictions. Those detained included AISA national president Neha Bora, civil society activist Yogendra Yadav and senior advocate Prashant Bhushan. AISA said senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Nitya Ramakrishnan and Pallav Sisodia also joined the protest.
In connection with the previous day's protest, police invoked Sections 223(a), 221, 132 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. These deal with disobeying a lawful order issued by a public servant, obstructing a public servant while carrying out official duties, assaulting or using criminal force to prevent a public servant from doing duty, and acts done by several persons with a common intention.
AISA activists had called for fresh mobilisation a day after the large detentions near Jantar Mantar. On Saturday, protesters marched from Patel Chowk towards Jantar Mantar, where police and paramilitary personnel had put up barricades and deployed extra forces to stop them from reaching the protest site. Officials said several protesters were detained near the spot and taken to different police stations.
The fresh mobilisation followed Bora's call on Friday evening asking activists to return to Jantar Mantar and continue the protest against Kumar. The protesters have been demanding his resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
AAP's student wing, the Association of Students for Alternative Politics, also staged a protest. The outfit alleged that some of its volunteers were detained and taken around different parts of Delhi in a bus for several hours before being taken to Jafarpur police station. AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj questioned the continued detention of the student volunteers. There was no immediate response from Delhi Police to the allegations.
The latest police action came a day after at least three FIRs were registered in connection with Friday's protests. Two FIRs were filed at Parliament Street police station and one at Connaught Place police station under Section 223 of the BNS for alleged disobedience of an order issued by a public servant.
Police had imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS across the New Delhi district before Friday's protest. The order bars gatherings of five or more people, processions, demonstrations, picketing, dharnas and slogan shouting without prior written permission. On Friday, around 5,000 police and paramilitary personnel, including more than 10 companies of paramilitary forces, were deployed in central Delhi. Barricades were put up at several points and drones were used to monitor crowded areas. Officials said police had received inputs that 4,000 to 5,000 people could gather for the protest.
The protests are taking place amid a political debate over the Special Intensive Revision exercise. The Election Commission has said that differing views within the poll panel are part of institutional deliberations and that its orders follow established statutory procedures. Overall, the protests at Jantar Mantar over Kumar's resignation demand continued for a second day, with fresh detentions, legal action and heavy security deployment in central Delhi.- EndsWith PTI inputs
