New Delhi, Oct. 2 -- Demands for greater accountability and transparency in the electoral process echoed across Delhi on Friday, leading to the detention of more than 700 protesters by Delhi Police as opposition parties, student groups and youth organisations held separate demonstrations around

Jantar Mantar not far from Parliament House, demanding resignation of Chief

Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the deletion of voters.

The demonstrations coincided with Gandhi Jayanti and saw participation from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), All India Students' Association (AISA), Students' Federation of India (SFI), Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), NSUI and other political and student organisations. Former Delhi chief minister Atishi, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj, AISA national president Neha Bora, RJD leader Manoj Jha, AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and political activist Yogendra Yadav were among those detained.

Police had denied permission for the proposed October 2 gathering and imposed restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in the New Delhi district. Heavy barricading was put up on roads leading to Jantar Mantar, with Delhi Police and Central Armed Police Forces personnel deployed at several points. Several protesters attempting to reach the protest site from the Ashoka Road side were stopped and taken away in buses. Bharadwaj was detained from Jantar Mantar, while Atishi was also taken into custody. In a post on X, Atishi said, "Detained by Modi ji's Delhi Police from Jantar Mantar," and added that the "fight against #VoteChori shall go on", using the hashtag #ChunavAyogThikKaro.

AAP had separately called for a protest and urged people to join the mobilisation on Gandhi Jayanti. SFI and DYFI members also gathered against the Election Commission and the SIR exercise, with the organisations planning to mobilise around 1,500 people at Jantar Mantar.

NSUI workers led by national president Vinod Jhakhar marched towards Jantar Mantar but were stopped by police and multiple barricades. Around 200 workers raised the slogan, "Gyanesh Kumar Go Back". Police later announced that the gathering was unauthorised and warned protesters that action could be taken if they did not leave the area.

IYC president Uday Bhanu Chib led the demonstration, with the youth wing of the Congress announcing plans to gherao the Election Commission's (EC) office.

"We are protesting because the EC is responsible for protecting the sanctity of every vote. When questions are being raised within the commission itself over decisions concerning the electoral roll, the country deserves answers and accountability," Chib said.

AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh was stopped at North Avenue while he was on his way to the protest. He later said he was sitting on a dharna in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the Parliament premises against "vote theft".

Manoj Jha of RJD questioned whether holding a peaceful demonstration has become a crime, saying he was detained while participating in the protest against the CEC on Gandhi Jayanti. The security arrangements had a wider impact on movement in central Delhi. Mobile internet services were suspended from 9 am to 9 pm within approximately 1.5 km. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation initially announced closure of entry and exit at 11 stations, with Barakhamba subsequently added, taking the total to 12. The affected stations were Janpath, Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat, Rajiv Chowk, Seva Teerth, Mandi House, Lok Kalyan Marg, INA, Chawri Bazar, Ramakrishna Ashram Marg, New Delhi and Barakhamba. Interchange facilities remained available at some stations.

Delhi Traffic Police also imposed diversions and restrictions around Connaught Place, Patel Chowk, GPO, Tolstoy Marg, Jantar Mantar Road, Parliament Street and Ashoka Road. Security personnel were deployed at several points, including Minto Road and roads approaching central Delhi. Barricades were also placed on the DND carriageway towards Delhi, where vehicles were stopped and occupants questioned about their destinations, resulting in slower movement on some stretches.

The protests are part of a continuing political and public debate over the functioning of the Election Commission and the SIR exercise. Opposition groups have alleged that the revision has resulted in the exclusion of eligible voters. The Election Commission has maintained that decisions of the three-member commission, including those relating to SIR, were taken unanimously.

The controversy intensified following an Indian Express investigative report alleging that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on several occasions regarding decisions taken by Gyanesh Kumar without their knowledge. The Election Commission has maintained that decisions concerning SIR were unanimous.

AISA president Neha Bora said the Delhi protest should be seen as part of a wider demand for accountability. "The demand for accountability is a wildfire spreading across the country and people will no longer be silenced," she said, adding that the issue was not limited to the demand for Kumar's resignation but also concerned broader changes in the political system.

Bora alleged that the SIR exercise had affected voters and weakened public trust in the electoral system. "The man bulldozing the SIR is none other than Gyanesh Kumar, and Friday we are going to be demanding that he be impeached and arrested," she said. She also claimed that the issue was part of a wider political exercise, while acknowledging that protesters believed Kumar was acting on directions from higher levels. The October 2 mobilisation follows earlier demonstrations over the SIR exercise during which activists and student leaders were detained. The latest protests brought the electoral-roll revision, voter inclusion and accountability of election authorities back into focus, while security restrictions around Jantar Mantar affected transport and communications across parts of central Delhi.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.