New Delhi: Several protesters demanding the arrest and resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar were detained by Delhi Police during a demonstration at Jantar Mantar on Friday, September 25, organisers said.
A senior police officer said the protesters had not sought permission for the demonstration.
“No application was submitted and no permission was obtained. They are being removed,” the officer said.
Communist Party of India (ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, activist Yogendra Yadav and other protesters were among those detained, the organisers said.
The protest was organised by the All India Students’ Association (AISA) Delhi unit, along with other civil society members, with protesters raising slogans of “Arrest Gyanesh Kumar” and alleging irregularities in the functioning of the Election Commission.
Several public figures, including AISA president Neha Bora, RJD MP Manoj Jha, Bhattacharya, lawyer Prashant Bhushan, Anjali Bhardwaj and Nandita Narain, participated in the protest, the organisers said.
The demonstration followed recent concerns raised by a report by The Indian Express over the Election Commission’s handling of electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
The Election Commission has maintained that differences of opinion and internal feedback are part of the functioning of a multi-member constitutional body and that final decisions on SIR were unanimous.
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