Thousands of supporters gathered in central Delhi on Monday to march alongside opposition leaders over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. AISA president Neha Bora was among those who joined the march alongside Congress leaders Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi.
Other student leaders, including SFI national joint secretary Aishe Ghosh , NSUI’s Jannat Bishnoi, an executive councillor (EC) of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU), also participated in the protest. Former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union president N Sai Balaji was also present.
The protesters are seeking Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, HT earlier reported. “All protests are one protest. There are no parallel protests. They have been among the activists detained several times by the Delhi Police over the last week, amid the agitation against the CEC. Bora also led separate protests in the Capital over the issue, with senior advocates Prashant Bhushan and Kapil Sibal also joining them in the protest march last week.
Earlier reporting noted: Bora is a 29-year-old PhD scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and the national president of AISA.
A senior Congress leader said bringing students on board was a calculated move to broaden the Opposition’s base in the protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. Rahul Gandhi compared the protests with “Shiva tandava”. He said all the ongoing protests are one and did not acknowledge the efforts of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). We don’t care who you are,” he said, as he dubbed the CJP’s efforts as “students tried to protest. The Ministry of Home Affairs had constituted a committee to examine alternative proper venues for citizen’s right for organizing protest/demonstrations in place of the existing “designated site”, according to the circular. Originally from Uttarakhand, they completed their undergraduate studies at Delhi University before pursuing a master’s degree at Ambedkar University Delhi, according to reports.
Earlier reporting noted: Who is Neha Bora? AISA president at the centre of anti-CEC, SIR protests in Delhi All India Students’ Association president Neha Bora has emerged as one of the prominent faces representing student activists – whether it be the paper leak protests earlier this year or the present stir against the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the special intensive revision exercise of electoral rolls. Earlier reporting noted: Bora, a research scholar at JNU’s School of Arts and Aesthetics, had always been involved in student politics on campus.
Jantar Mantar was de-notified as a designated protest venue on Monday, according to a Delhi Police circular that also listed three new sites across the city for holding demonstrations.
