New Delhi, October 2: Delhi Police detained more than 500 protesters, including student activists and senior Aam Aadmi Party leaders, during a demonstration near Jantar Mantar on Friday against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
The protest brought together members of the All India Students’ Association, Students’ Federation of India, National Students’ Union of India and other youth organisations, along with AAP leaders. Demonstrators demanded Kumar’s resignation and alleged that the electoral-roll revision had resulted in the mass deletion of voters.
Student groups among detainees
Police said several hundred people attempted to reach Jantar Mantar despite restrictions imposed in central Delhi. A police source said around 700 SFI members were stopped near the Ashoka Road roundabout, with many detained.
A senior police official later put the total number of detainees at around 500, including AAP leaders and activists from AISA, SFI, NSUI and other student organisations. The figure was higher than an earlier police estimate of approximately 150 detainees. Separately, German broadcaster DW, citing PTI and its reporters, reported that more than 700 people had been detained in and around Jantar Mantar.
The differing figures could not immediately be independently reconciled. They may reflect separate counts from different locations or changing estimates as police operations continued.
SFI general secretary Aishe Ghosh said several SFI and Democratic Youth Federation of India activists had been taken into custody. NSUI activists were also detained from the protest area, according to reports.
“Delhi Police is not being able to stop crimes in the capital but when it comes to protection of someone like Gyanesh Kumar, they get down on the streets,” Ghosh said, describing the action as an attempt to suppress a democratic movement.
AAP leaders detained
AAP leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj and Sanjeev Jha were detained at or near Jantar Mantar. Former Delhi chief minister Atishi and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh were also among those detained or prevented from reaching the protest site.
Police stopped Singh at North Avenue, according to the report. Bharadwaj said in a post on X that he and Jha were detained despite the demonstration being peaceful. He called on party workers and supporters to continue reaching Jantar Mantar.
In a video message, Bharadwaj claimed that police cited the absence of official permission for the protest. He questioned the need for permission to demonstrate at Jantar Mantar, a designated protest venue, and said the party had submitted letters seeking approval about a week earlier.
Dispute over voter-list revision
The mobilisation centred on the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Opposition parties and student organisations have alleged that the exercise has led to the deletion of large numbers of voters and could exclude vulnerable communities from the electoral process.
The protesters’ demands included:
The resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
A review of alleged deletions from electoral rolls.
Greater transparency in the revision process.
Protection of voting rights for students, migrants and other groups facing documentation or address-related difficulties.
The Election Commission and authorities have described the revision process as an exercise intended to improve the accuracy and reliability of electoral rolls. Protesters, however, argue that the process risks placing an excessive documentation burden on citizens and could disenfranchise legitimate voters.
Barricades, metro closures and internet restrictions
The confrontation intensified as protesters attempted to cross police barricades near Firoz Shah Road and other approach routes. Police used restrictions to prevent large gatherings, chanting, demonstrations and speeches in central Delhi.
Delhi Metro temporarily closed entry and exit facilities at 12 stations, including Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat and Jantar Mantar, as part of the security arrangements. Protest leaders urged supporters to use the nearest open station and walk towards the protest site.
Internet services were also suspended in and around the Jantar Mantar area, according to reports. The disruption added to concerns raised by opposition parties and student groups over the scale of the restrictions imposed during the demonstration.
Political and civil-liberties concerns
The detentions have triggered criticism from opposition parties and left-wing organisations. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) condemned the detention of young people, including students, who had gathered to protest against the Chief Election Commissioner and the electoral-roll revision.
The episode has also renewed debate over the balance between public-order restrictions and the constitutional right to peaceful assembly. Authorities had said the demonstration lacked permission and that prohibitory orders were necessary to prevent disruption in central Delhi. Protesters countered that the restrictions were excessive and effectively prevented them from exercising their democratic rights.
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