The protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar continued for a second day on Saturday, with senior advocate Kapil Sibal, lawyer Prashant Bhushan, AISA president Neha Bora and others marching towards the protest site.
The demonstration is centred on allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and a demand from protesters for Kumar’s resignation. These allegations are claims made by the organisers and protesters and do not by themselves establish wrongdoing.
Delhi Police said Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, remained in force across the New Delhi district. According to the police notice, unauthorised gatherings, public speeches, slogan-shouting, processions, demonstrations and dharnas were prohibited.
Police also said no permission had been granted for a protest scheduled for October 3 and that no prior intimation had been received by the New Delhi district police. Authorities warned that violations of the order could lead to legal action.
As protesters gathered, police made announcements asking the crowd to disperse and began detentions at the protest site.
Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav also announced his participation in the second day’s mobilisation. In a post on X, he described peaceful protest as a democratic right.
The renewed demonstration follows Friday’s large mobilisation, during which around 1,000 people were detained across Delhi, according to Hindustan Times. Nearly 750 were detained from areas around Jantar Mantar, while another 400 were detained from other parts of Delhi, with some people also placed under house arrest. The figures reported by HT overlap and should not be added together as a single total.
Those detained on Friday included former Delhi chief minister Atishi, Neha Bora and Yogendra Yadav, along with AAP leaders, civil society activists, student organisations and Congress youth-wing workers.
More than 5,000 security personnel were deployed around Jantar Mantar during Friday’s protest. Delhi Police also registered three FIRs in connection with the previous day’s demonstrations.
On Saturday, TMC leader Mahua Moitra urged people to join the protest in larger numbers. Meanwhile, internet services around Jantar Mantar were reported to be functioning, unlike Friday, when telecom companies had been asked to suspend services in the New Delhi district for a specified period.
The latest mobilisation is taking place amid heightened security and restrictions as authorities seek to maintain public order and traffic movement in central Delhi.