Protest against India’s election chief planned to resume in Delhi

The protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar is scheduled to resume at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on October 3, All India Students’ Association national president Neha Bora said, according to The Hindu. The announcement came a day after hundreds of protesters, including political leaders and student activists, were detained during demonstrations in the capital. The protests were organised on Gandhi Jayanti by the Cockroach Janata Party, Opposition parties and student groups in Delhi and Mumbai.

The protesters are demanding Mr. Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and concerns about the deletion of voters. The allegations are claims made by the protesters; the supplied report does not include a response from the Chief Election Commissioner or the Election Commission.

In Delhi, police detained hundreds of people after security forces prevented demonstrators from gathering at Jantar Mantar, where prohibitory orders were in place. Police deployed thousands of personnel and barricaded roads around central Delhi. Entry and exit gates at several Metro stations were also shut as part of the security arrangements.

The agitation involved the Aam Aadmi Party, Left parties, youth and student wings of the Congress, and groups including AISA, the Students’ Federation of India and the National Students’ Union of India. In Mumbai, CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke said the group would hold another demonstration in Delhi on October 10 if Mr. Kumar did not resign.

The report said the protests were also held in other parts of the country, with demands focused on the electoral-roll revision and alleged voter deletions.