A planned Delhi protest seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has received official support from the Bharatiya Kisan Union, while authorities are preparing enhanced security arrangements ahead of the October 10 demonstration at Jantar Mantar.
The Cockroach Janta Party, which is organising the protest, said the Bharatiya Kisan Union led by Rakesh Tikait had formally extended its support. Tikait called on farmers and supporters to participate in the protest in Delhi, according to a statement and video shared by the party.
In the video, Tikait said the Bharatiya Kisan Union supported the demonstration being organised by the Cockroach Janta Party, other organisations and political parties. He said young people who wanted to travel to Delhi could join the protest, while those unable to do so could demonstrate at their respective district headquarters and submit memoranda to district magistrates.
Tikait said the memoranda would be addressed to the President. He also said the union would participate at a district headquarters on October 10, although he did not specify the location. The call could result in demonstrations being organised both in the national capital and at district-level administrative centres, based on the arrangements described in the statement.
The report also said former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had indicated that she could participate in the Jantar Mantar protest. A final decision on her participation had not been taken, according to the report.
Delhi is preparing for a large turnout. More than 20,000 security personnel are being deployed in the city, and neighbouring states have been asked to remain alert, the report said. Liquor shops in Delhi will remain closed on October 9 and 10 as part of measures intended to maintain law and order around the protest.
The planned mobilisation is expected to bring together farmers, student groups, political organisations and Dalit organisations, according to claims made by Cockroach Janta Party spokesperson and co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka. Ranka alleged that people travelling from different parts of the country to attend the protest were being detained.
He further claimed that at least 10,000 people linked to farmers’ groups, student organisations, political parties and Dalit organisations had been detained. The report did not include an independent confirmation of this allegation or a response from Delhi Police or another authority on the claimed detentions.
The security arrangements and temporary closure of liquor shops will affect movement and commercial activity in Delhi during the two-day period. The main public demonstration is scheduled for October 10 at Jantar Mantar, while the organisers have asked supporters unable to reach Delhi to submit memoranda through their district administrations.
