An activist stands atop a Delhi Police bus during a protest organised by various student bodies demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls, near Jantar Mantar, in New Delhi. PTI
New Delhi: Delhi Police on Saturday, October 3, detained around 200 protesters who gathered near Jantar Mantar for the second consecutive day, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls.
Asserting that “Delhi Police’s assault against women protesters and journalists will not be tolerated,” All India Students’ Association (AISA) president Neha Bora called for a fresh march in Delhi on Sunday, October 4.
This comes amid Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder-convenor Abhijeet Dipke’s call for an agitation in Delhi on October 10 if the CEC does not step down.
Among those detained in Delhi were All India Students’ Association (AISA) national president Neha Bora, civil society activist Yogendra Yadav and senior advocate Prashant Bhushan. Bora had been detained on Friday as well.
Responding to her call to return to Jantar Mantar, protesters marched from Patel Chowk towards Jantar Mantar, where police and paramilitary personnel had erected barricades and deployed additional forces to prevent them from reaching the designated protest area.
AISA said senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Nitya Ramakrishnan, and Pallav Sisodia also joined the protest.
Delhi Police shared a post on X stating that no protest has been authorised to take place on the day and that Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) has been imposed. “Violation will invite legal action as per law,” it said.
Meanwhile, Delhi Police registered at least three FIRs in connection with Friday’s protests. Two FIRs were registered at Parliament Street police station and one at Connaught Place police station under Section 223 of the BNS for alleged disobedience of an order promulgated by a public servant.
According to Bar and Bench, the IYC has moved the Delhi High Court, challenging the Delhi Police’s refusal to permit it to hold a demonstration against the CEC. IYC President Uday Bhanu Chib has filed a writ petition.
Taking to X late on Saturday, Bora wrote, “Citizens’ March. India Gate to Jantar Mantar…Sunday, 4th October 2026.”
She said women were not safe anywhere, and “Delhi Police’s assault against women protestors, journalists will not be tolerated!”
In a video message, while claiming to show her muscles, Bora seemed to show injuries sustained during alleged police action earlier in the evening.
Earlier, Yogendra Yadav had shared on X, “Jab tak Gyanesh Kumar ki chhutti nahin, tab tak hum bhi chhutti nahin lenge (We wouldn’t rest till the CEC was shown the door).”
He also shared videos of their being rounded up by the police personnel.
AISA shared visuals and reels from the protest site, showing police rounding up protesters, saying, “Hum baar baar waapas aayenge (we will keep coming back).”
The students’ organisation also posted an ‘advisory’ for the Delhi Police which read, “If you’re doing your duty, wear your nameplate and own your actions. If you believe vote chori is unjust, let citizens raise their voices peacefully without being silenced, detained or intimidated.”
Addressing a protest at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on Friday, October 2, which saw a massive gathering, Dipke had warned of a Jantar Mantar 2.0, saying that the entire Gen Z of the country would descend upon Delhi if the CEC does not step down.
In a post on X, Dipke said, “If CEC Gyanesh Kumar doesn’t resign, cockroaches from across India will march to Jantar Mantar in Delhi on October 10. If the Delhi Police stops us anywhere on the way, wherever they stop us will become our Jantar Mantar.
“We will follow the path shown by Mahatma Gandhi in our fight to protect democracy and free & fair elections.”
After his post thanking former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for extending support to their agitation was restricted on social media, Dipke said on Saturday that he would not be surprised if his X handle was taken down before October 10.
Dipke had posted on X, “Thank you @MamataOfficial ma’am for extending your support to the cockroach movement! All Indians need to come together to save democracy!”
TMC Rajya Sabha joint secretary Derek O’Brien shared the post, which was subsequently restricted by X. The post was no longer accessible, and the platform instead displayed the message, “Due to local regulations, this content is restricted on X.”
Reacting to the restriction, O’Brien said Banerjee had “come out strongly in support of Cockroach” and that Dipke had thanked her for the support. Dipke shared O’Brien’s post and said, “Won’t be surprised if the govt takes down my handle before Oct 10.”
(With PTI inputs)
This post was last modified on October 3, 2026 11:15 pm