EC-SIR row: Mamata Banerjee, Neha Bora detained as Delhi CJP protest grows; Ajinkya Shinde takes charge
Delhi Police detained Mamata Banerjee, Neha Bora and CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke during protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
by Subhrajit Roy · Zee NewsDelhi Police detained Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, student leader Neha Bora and hundreds of protesters on Saturday as demonstrations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar spread beyond Jantar Mantar. With the Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke held at Delhi airport, Ajinkya Shinde was named to lead the agitation, while security restrictions disrupted transport across the capital.
Mamata Banerjee, Neha Bora and other opposition leaders detained
Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was detained near a bus stand on South Avenue, where she had begun a sit-in after police stopped her from proceeding towards the protest. Trinamool Congress leaders Derek O'Brien, Saket Gokhale and Dola Sen were also among those detained. Mamata Banerjee placed a bandage over her mouth in protest and described the police action as "bigger than Emergency".
Elsewhere, All India Students' Association (AISA) president Neha Bora, activist Yogendra Yadav, advocate Prashant Bhushan and CPI(ML) Liberation leader Dipankar Bhattacharya were detained near INA Market. Bora had urged supporters to assemble at Dilli Haat after police barricades blocked access to Jantar Mantar. Former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan was also among the opposition figures detained.
Ajinkya Shinde to lead CJP agitation after airport detentions
The CJP said its founder Dipke and leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained aboard an aircraft shortly after arriving from Mumbai. Video from the plane showed Dipke confronting police officers, accusing them of treating peaceful protesters like criminals. An officer was heard saying that the action was a detention rather than an arrest.
In a video recorded the previous night and released on Saturday, Dipke instructed supporters to follow the organisation's in-charge, Ajinkya Shinde, if its senior leaders were taken into custody. CJP legal head Ratna Singh separately alleged that officers had surrounded her car without showing a written detention order. The group also claimed that content creator Dhruv Rathee had been detained.
Over 1,000 detained as Metro, road and internet curbs hit Delhi
More than 1,000 people had been detained across Delhi, although other reports carried lower preliminary figures, News Agency ANI reported, quoting Delhi Police sources. Authorities divided the New Delhi district into operational zones and prepared temporary holding facilities, including stadiums. Barricades, vehicle checks and traffic diversions caused congestion on several central Delhi roads and routes into the city.
Metro restrictions affected 45 stations under a revised Delhi Metro Rail Corporation advisory, down from an earlier plan covering 57. Entry and exit gates were closed at affected stations, while mobile internet was suspended in parts of central Delhi. Train cancellations and restrictions at markets added to the disruption. The Supreme Court had directed authorities not to impose blanket public transport curbs.
Why are CJP protesters demanding Gyanesh Kumar's resignation?
The CJP and opposition groups accuse the Election Commission of unfairly deleting eligible voters during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Election Commission data show that roughly 13 crore names were removed or flagged for removal during verification, including entries linked to deaths, relocation and untraceable voters. The Commission says eligible voters removed in error can apply for re-enrolment. It and the BJP reject allegations of deliberate electoral manipulation.
The latest demonstration followed earlier protests in Delhi and Mumbai, including a CJP gathering at Shivaji Park on October 2. Delhi Police said it refused permission for Saturday's Jantar Mantar event because organisers did not submit a valid application within the required 10-day period and because of public-order concerns. Despite the detentions, groups of demonstrators continued trying to march in different parts of the capital.
Also Read: EC-SIR row protest escalates - Internet suspended, 1,500+ detained; AISA Chief Neha Bora held
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