- All India Students Association protested at Jantar Mantar, demanding Gyanesh Kumar's arrest
- Protesters cited an Indian Express report alleging discrepancies in the Election Commission's SIR exercise
- Delhi Police restricted movement and claimed the protest lacked proper permissions
"Arrest Gyanesh Kumar" -- the chant rang out at Jantar Mantar on Friday afternoon, as members of the All India Students' Association demanded the Chief Election Commissioner's resignation and arrest over alleged discrepancies in the Election Commission's functioning.
An investigative report has put the Election Commission's role under scrutiny, raising questions over alleged discrepancies in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The report, published by the Indian Express, triggered reactions from across the political spectrum, with political parties and student unions staging demonstrations. The All India Students' Association, popularly known as AISA, the student wing of the CPI(ML) Liberation, staged one such demonstration at Jantar Mantar on Friday.
In its call for the protest, the student body cited the report, claiming it confirmed a "total compromise" of the Election Commission.
Read: Water Cannons Used, Gaurav Gogoi Detained As Congress Holds Protests Against Gyanesh Kumar
The protest, scheduled for 2 pm at Jantar Mantar, saw severe delays as organisers struggled to reach the protest site. Heavy police and RAF deployment, along with barricading, restricted the protesters' movement in and around Jantar Mantar. During the protest, the Delhi Police used a microphone to say that the student body lacked the relevant permissions for the protest, and urged immediate dispersal from the site.
Photo Credit: ANI
Protesters could be heard raising slogans demanding not just the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, but also his arrest. Flagging inconsistencies in the poll panel's functioning, they demanded that SIR-related exercises be rolled back and re-elections be conducted in several states.
The protest saw prominent faces like Yogendra Yadav, Prashant Bhushan, Nandita Narain and Neha Bora, among others.
Several protesters were also detained. The process caused friction between protesters and the police, with the former accusing the latter of manhandling and brutality. Five buses filled with protesters were taken from the site. Yogendra Yadav and Neha Bora were detained, while Prashant Bhushan was escorted out by the police.
Photo Credit: ANI
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While being escorted out, Bhushan told NDTV, "They are not even allowing a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar, the designated protest site. The government has lost its balance and is losing its cool."
The demonstration comes amid several protests by opposition parties over the Election Commission's handling of the electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
