Several members of the All India Students’ Association (AISA), senior advocate Kapil Sibal and lawyer Prashant Bhushan were detained by Delhi Police on Saturday, October 3, during a protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The demonstration took place near Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, where student activists and civil society members gathered to protest alleged irregularities in the voter-list revision process and demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The protest marked the second consecutive day of demonstrations, with police deploying security personnel and barricades across central Delhi to prevent protesters from reaching the designated protest site.
Protesters Return to Jantar Mantar
The fresh demonstration followed police action on Friday, when several protesters were detained during an attempted gathering against the Election Commission.
AISA national president Neha Bora, who was detained during Friday’s protest, had called on activists to return to Jantar Mantar on Saturday and continue raising concerns over electoral rights.
On Saturday, protesters marched from the Patel Chowk area towards Jantar Mantar. Police stopped the marchers near the protest site and detained several participants as they attempted to move past barricades.
Around 150 protesters were reportedly detained during the Saturday demonstration, according to reports.
Kapil Sibal, Prashant Bhushan Among Those Detained
Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan and Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav were among those who joined the protest.
AISA members and other student activists also participated in the demonstration, demanding accountability from the Election Commission over the electoral roll revision process.
The protesters raised slogans against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and called for his resignation.
Police officials said the demonstration had not been granted permission at Jantar Mantar. Security personnel were stationed at several locations, and protesters were taken away in buses after being stopped.
AISA Alleges Misconduct During Police Action
AISA members alleged that Neha Bora was manhandled by a male police officer during the detention. The organisation also alleged that another police officer abused her.
These allegations were made by the protesters following the police action. The claims could not be independently established from the available reports.
Bora had urged demonstrators not to be discouraged by the detentions and called for continued participation in the protest.
SIR Exercise at the Centre of Dispute
The demonstrations are centred on the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
Opposition parties and civil society groups have raised concerns over alleged large-scale deletion of voter names and the possibility of eligible citizens being excluded from electoral lists.
The protesters have demanded greater transparency in the revision process and safeguards to ensure that eligible voters retain their voting rights.
The Election Commission has maintained that the exercise is intended to update electoral rolls by identifying duplicate, deceased and otherwise ineligible entries. It has also directed officials to facilitate the registration of eligible voters who may have been left out.
Security Tightened in Central Delhi
Heavy police deployment and barricading were reported around Jantar Mantar and nearby roads during the protest.
The demonstration followed Friday’s detention of hundreds of protesters, including political leaders, student activists and members of opposition organisations.
The continuing protests have brought renewed attention to the dispute over electoral roll revisions, the functioning of the Election Commission and the right to peaceful assembly.
With AISA and other groups continuing their mobilisation, the controversy surrounding the SIR exercise remains a major point of discussion between opposition organisations and election authorities.