AAP leader Atishi and AISA activist Neha Bora were among several political leaders and student activists detained by the Delhi Police during a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Jantar Mantar on Friday. The police detained more than 700 protesters, including AAP leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj, Sanjeev Jha and Sanjay Singh, as well as activists from several student organisations.
The protest saw heightened security, with police stopping groups of demonstrators from reaching the designated protest site. Internet services were also suspended in and around Jantar Mantar, while entry and exit at 12 Delhi Metro stations, including Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat and Jantar Mantar, were closed.
Atishi, Neha Bora Among Those Detained
The Delhi Police detained AAP leaders and activists from student organisations during the demonstration. Police sources said around 700 SFI members attempted to reach Jantar Mantar but were stopped near the Ashoka Road roundabout, with many taken into custody.
Another police official said more than 700 protesters from AAP, AISA, SFI and other student groups were detained from and near Jantar Mantar. An earlier estimate had put the number of detainees at around 150.
SFI general secretary Aishe Ghosh said several activists from the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) had also been detained.
Student Groups Allege Police Force
AISA activists alleged that police used force against protesters, including women, during the detentions. A member of the organisation, while being detained near Jantar Mantar, said the protest would continue despite police action.
“No matter how much lathi charge you use or no matter how many of us you put in jail, Gyanesh Kumar has to resign,” the activist said.
Ghosh accused the Delhi Police of failing to control crime in the capital while deploying personnel to protect the Chief Election Commissioner.
“This is not democracy. If police think they can stop the movement by detaining us, we want to tell them that this is just the start,” she said.
The CPI(ML) Liberation-affiliated AISA also alleged that the police action was intended to prevent people from questioning the electoral process.
NSUI President Vinod Jakhar Also Detained
Several National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) activists, including its national president Vinod Jakhar, were also detained during the protest.
Jakhar was taken into custody during a foot march from the organisation’s office towards Jantar Mantar. In a post on X, he alleged that several NSUI activists had been detained and subjected to police action during the march.
“The voice of the people’s votes cannot be suppressed by the might of any power,” Jakhar wrote, adding that the organisation’s peaceful struggle for democracy would continue.
Protesters were also seen crossing barricades on Firoz Shah Road as demonstrations continued near the protest site.
AAP Questions Denial Of Protest Permission
AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said police had told the party that permission had not been granted for the demonstration. He questioned why permission was required to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site, in a democracy.
Bharadwaj said the party had submitted letters seeking permission around a week earlier and maintained that the protesters were exercising their democratic right to raise concerns.
He also said several metro stations near Jantar Mantar had been closed and appealed to people travelling to the protest to use the nearest operational station and walk to the venue where possible.
Metro Stations Closed, Internet Services Suspended
The Delhi Metro shut entry and exit at 12 stations, including Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat and Jantar Mantar, amid the protest. Internet services were also suspended at the protest site and in surrounding areas.
The detentions and security restrictions came as AAP leaders and student organisations staged demonstrations against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, alleging concerns over the electoral process.
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