EC-SIR row protest escalates: Internet suspended, 1,500+ detained; AISA Chief Neha Bora held
Delhi Police detained student leader Neha Bora and CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke amid Saturday's protests demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation.
by Subhrajit Roy · Zee NewsDelhi Police detained student leader Neha Bora and several protesters on Saturday as demonstrations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar spread to other parts of the capital. Meanwhile, Delhi airport authorities detained Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke and two colleagues. Police said the protest had not received permission.
Neha Bora urges supporters to gather at Dilli Haat
Earlier, Bora, the national president of the All India Students' Association (AISA), called on supporters to gather elsewhere after police blocked access to Jantar Mantar. "Dilli Haat becomes our Jantar Mantar! Gyanesh Kumar must go!" she wrote on X.
Abhijeet Dipke, CJP leaders detained at Delhi airport
Earlier today, at Indira Gandhi International Airport, police officers boarded a flight from Mumbai and detained CJP founder Dipke along with senior leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. Videos shared by the group showed officers confronting the activists before escorting them away.
NCP (SP) spokesperson Anish Gawande, who was travelling on the same flight, said he did not know where the three had been taken.
"We were all on the same flight. The three of them were sitting right in front of me. Police officers entered the aircraft, inconvenienced all other passengers and picked him up from the aircraft. We do not even know whether he (Dipke) has been brought out of the airport or is still there," he told reporters.
Gawande said protesters were still attempting to reach Jantar Mantar and urged police to exercise restraint.
"The plan will be revealed to you very soon. Currently, young people are making their way to Jantar Mantar. We hope that the Police will not use excessive violence or force. We hope that the Police will treat young people of this country as equal citizens, rather than criminals who deserve to be punished," he said.
Delhi protest: Over 1,500 detained, transport services disrupted
Police deployed thousands of personnel and set up barricades and vehicle checkpoints around central Delhi. Authorities restricted access to dozens of Metro stations, disrupted some rail services and suspended mobile internet in parts of the city.
Delhi Police said the organisers had submitted their application too late to meet the required notice period. Officers also cited prohibitory orders and public-order concerns.
By early afternoon, more than 1,500 people had reportedly been detained across Delhi. The Times of India also reported stone-throwing near Akashwani Bhawan and injuries to two police personnel. The circumstances of the confrontation were still being established.
The CJP, meanwhile, asked supporters to avoid violence and not breach police barricades. In Mumbai, police also detained activist Tushar Gandhi ahead of a solidarity demonstration. Tushar Gandhi is a prominent Mumbai-based social activist, author, and the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. He is the son of journalist Arun Manilal Gandhi and currently serves as the president of the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation.
Why protesters want Gyanesh Kumar to resign
The protest, organised by CJP alongside student groups, seeks Kumar's resignation and challenges the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Opposition parties allege that the exercise has wrongly removed eligible voters and benefited the ruling BJP. The commission and the BJP reject allegations of deliberate manipulation.
As part of the Election Commission of India's (ECI) ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), roughly 130 million names were removed, including entries for people who had relocated, passed away, or could not be traced. The Commission says that eligible voters who were wrongly excluded can apply to be reinstated.
The agitation follows several days of demonstrations by INDIA bloc leaders in Delhi.
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