Delhi protests: Saffron-clad groups threaten demonstrators for second day

Delhi witnessed a second day of threats against protesters on Sunday as saffron-clad groups carrying sticks moved through central areas, including Connaught Place, according to reports. The Hindu Raksha Dal claimed responsibility for an assault on demonstrators demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, following police arrests on Saturday.

Police arrested four men in connection with the alleged attack on DDU Marg, despite prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) being in effect.

Leaders of the Hindu Raksha Dal, such as Pinki Chaudhary, defended their supporters, describing them as "warriors of Sanatan Dharma" and warning that any target on Sanatan would be met with retaliation. Protesters accused the saffron-clad groups of raising anti-national and anti-Modi slogans and threatened them with violence. Some demonstrators claimed that the groups were present to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi and were indifferent to the consequences of their actions.

Thousands of protesters were detained across Delhi during the demonstrations, which called for Kumar's resignation over alleged irregularities in the Election Commission's functioning and its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The situation escalated as videos allegedly showing an assault on a male protester and a woman circulated on social media, with the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, sharing a screenshot of the footage.