Delhi Police Detain Protesters At Jantar Mantar Demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s Resignation

On Friday, protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar in Delhi to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the halting of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The demonstrators included leaders and activists from various groups such as Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Indian Youth Congress, CPI(ML), and TMC MP Mahua Moitra.

Police presence was strong, with barricades erected to impede protesters marching toward the Election Commission office. Those who attempted to advance were promptly detained, subsequently transported in buses. Notable figures among the detained included AISA president Neha Bora, CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, and activist Yogendra Yadav.

During the protest, Moitra asserted that Kumar must resign and that the SIR process should be discontinued. She referred to Kumar as a criminal who requires prosecution. The demonstrations ensued after Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi had previously called for Kumar’s dismissal, claiming that India's elections were "fundamentally broken." Gandhi accused Kumar of electoral fraud, alleging lapses in the voting process and governance of the Election Commission.

Similarly, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) issued a 24-hour ultimatum to Kumar to resign or face nationwide protests starting from Mumbai on October 2, extending to other cities if Kumar remained in office. The Election Commission, however, maintained that disagreements and internal investigations are integral parts of their decision-making process, emphasizing that final decisions are unanimously reached.