New Delhi, Oct. 23 -- Thousands of people, including representatives of farmers' organisations, trade unions, student bodies and Left parties, marched towards the Election Commission of India headquarters here on Friday, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and withdrawal of the ongoing SIR (Special Intensive Revision) of electoral rolls.

Delhi Police detained over 100 protesters after they tried to breach multi-layered barricades near Bangla Sahib Gurudwara, a few hundred metres from the ECI headquarters. Carrying the Tricolour and banners reading "Scrap SIR", "Vote Chori" and "No elections with SIR", the demonstrators shouted slogans against the CEC.

Several protesters attempted to wave the national flag, while activists of the All India Students' Association (AISA) held satirical placards targeting Kumar. The march, called by the Delhi Coordination Committee of People Against SIR, a people's collective, began near Gole Dak Khana at the intersection of Kalibari Marg and Bhai Vir Singh Marg.

It brought together representatives of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), trade unions, student organisations and Left parties, with participants from Delhi, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. The protesters sat down and held a 'People's Parliament' after police stopped them from proceeding towards the ECI headquarters.

Visuals of students being bundled into buses, even as they waved the Indian flag, took over social media on Friday evening.

The protest took place amid restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), with Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force personnel deployed in large numbers across central Delhi.

Senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat, members of the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) and the All India Democratic Students' Organisation (AIDSO), and activists from the Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) and the Students' Federation of India (SFI) participated in the march.

"We demand that SIR should be rolled back, Gyanesh Kumar should resign, the voter list should be rectified, and the government should apologise," said Yudhvir Singh, national general secretary of the Bharatiya Kisan Union.

CPI Rajya Sabha MP P Sandosh Kumar said the movement would be intensified in the coming days and reiterated the demand for the chief election commissioner's resignation.

According to the People Against SIR forum, demonstrations have been planned in 88 cities across 18 states, involving 145 organisations, with programmes scheduled from Friday until November 1.

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