The Delhi Police on Saturday detained 160 protesters, including senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, political activist Yogendra Yadav, AISA president Neha Bora and activist Anjali Bhardwaj, during a protest march demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
Nearly two hours after the scheduled time of the protest, AISA national president Neha Bora, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal, Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav, Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan and RTI activist Anjali Bhardwaj began leading the march amid heavy security presence in and around Jantar Mantar. The Delhi Police made announcements and attempted to disperse the crowd, eventually detaining several protesters. Prashant Bhushan, Yogendra Yadav and Anjali Bhardwaj were taken to the Badarpur Police Station along with several others.
Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 also remained in force in the New Delhi district for a second consecutive day, with cops saying this was to ensure public safety, maintain public order and facilitate smooth traffic movement. Within 15 minutes of the starting of the march, which began at Vithal Bhai Patel House around 3 pm, the police began detaining people, AISA member and former JNUSU president N Sai Balaji told HT.
Police said no permission had been granted for any protest on October 3, and that “no prior intimation” of any such stir was received by the cops. “Nearly 160 people were detained and were taken to different police stations,” a police official said, requesting anonymity. Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav called for a citizen’s march on October 4, saying it was to protest against alleged “police brutality”. He urged people to “rise against anti-women SIR” and “rise against Delhi Police”. He also said the protest was against CEC Gyanesh Kumar. After being detained, Bhushan, in a video, said “police cannot silence the voice of the people.”
Earlier today, senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Prashant Bhushan backed the anti-CEC stir as they joined AISA president Neha Bora and marched towards the Jantar Mantar.
