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Protesters gather in central Delhi during a march against the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. (Images: X)
New Delhi: Delhi Police detained more than 100 protesters in central Delhi on Friday during a march against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The demonstration was organised following a call by the Delhi Coordination Committee of People Against SIR, a civil society collective, which had urged people to mobilise against the electoral roll revision exercise and raise concerns over the functioning of the Election Commission.
Those who participated in the protest included CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat, Communist Party of India leader P. Sandosh Kumar, and members of the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) and the All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO).
The march brought together political leaders, student groups, women’s organisations and civil society activists, with protesters objecting to the SIR exercise and criticising the Election Commission’s leadership under Gyanesh Kumar.
The detentions came amid heightened security in the national capital following a series of demonstrations by opposition parties and civil society groups demanding accountability from the poll body over alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls.
Opposition parties and activists have repeatedly questioned the manner in which the SIR process is being conducted, alleging that the exercise could result in eligible voters being excluded from electoral rolls. They have also demanded Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
The Election Commission has faced mounting political criticism over the revision exercise, with opposition leaders alleging procedural lapses and raising concerns about the potential disenfranchisement of voters. These allegations have been contested amid the ongoing political dispute over the electoral process.
The latest demonstration adds to a series of protests in Delhi in recent weeks, during which police have detained activists and political workers attempting to march towards designated protest locations. The demonstrations have also triggered a broader debate over the scope of peaceful assembly and the restrictions imposed by authorities on public gatherings in central Delhi. The immediate circumstances surrounding Friday’s detentions, including how long those taken into custody were held and whether all were subsequently released, were not immediately clear.
