The Indian Youth Congress has launched a legal helpline after Delhi Police detained at least 500 people attempting to reach Jantar Mantar for a proposed protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, according to a report by Millennium Post – Delhi.
The helpline, 9582223884, will receive complaints from protesters alleging intimidation or harassment linked to the demonstrations and will facilitate legal assistance for people detained during protests, the Congress youth wing said.
The proposed demonstration was called by the Cockroach Janta Party against the Chief Election Commissioner and was linked to controversy over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Police detained protesters from several locations across New Delhi, including near Regal Cinema, Minto Bridge and Akashwani Bhawan, sources cited in the report said.
Police also deployed drones to monitor the movement of people attempting to reach the protest site, according to the same sources. The reported detentions and surveillance reflect the heightened security arrangements around central Delhi, where access restrictions and police deployments can affect protest routes, nearby roads and the movement of residents and visitors.
The Indian Youth Congress separately alleged that its headquarters at 5, Raisina Road, had been surrounded by police since Friday. The organisation said barricades were preventing people from entering or leaving the premises. In a post on X, it accused authorities of detaining young people, journalists, advocates and Congress workers, and alleged that people were being intimidated. These allegations were made by the organisation and were not independently established in the supplied report.
Delhi Pradesh Youth Congress president Akshay Lakra also claimed that he had been placed under house arrest. Several IYC workers alleged that they had been detained during the heightened security arrangements. The organisation said it would provide organisational support to young people facing action over their participation in the protests and urged those needing legal assistance to contact the helpline.
The demonstrations follow an investigation published by The Indian Express last month concerning decisions connected to the SIR. The investigation claimed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected on record at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions and orders they said were issued without their knowledge or recommendation. It also reported that they described specific changes to voter enrolment forms as unauthorised and illegal.
The Election Commission has rejected suggestions of a split within its three-member panel. It has maintained that decisions relating to the SIR were taken unanimously.
The immediate focus remains on the legal assistance being offered to people detained or threatened in connection with the protests, and on the authorities’ handling of access to the proposed demonstration site and the IYC headquarters.
