Delhi protests spread across central Delhi on Friday evening as student groups, political organisations and traders gathered at Connaught Place, Janpath and nearby areas over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and demands concerning Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Police maintained a heavy presence, detained some protesters and kept Central Park out of bounds during the gatherings.
Small groups carrying the Tricolour assembled at Connaught Place after the Communist Party of India’s ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ call. Protesters raised slogans and occupied parts of the Inner Circle, while police monitored the area and later asked those gathered to leave. Central Park remained closed to protesters, and the groups began dispersing shortly after police intervention around 6.30 pm.
At Mandi House, AISA president Neha Bora and other representatives of Left-affiliated organisations attempted to begin a march at 5 pm. Police intercepted the group, and Bora was detained as women constables escorted her to a police vehicle amid pushing and jostling, according to the report. Student and youth organisations including SFI, DYFI, AISF and AIYF also announced plans to join a Tricolour rally towards Central Park.
Protest activity later shifted towards Janpath, where AISA and other Left-leaning student organisations gathered with placards and raised slogans. The report also recorded a separate Tricolour march by the Aam Aadmi Party near Rashtrapati Bhavan during the afternoon.
The gatherings brought together people with sharply different views on the electoral-roll revision. While several protesters demanded that the exercise be withdrawn and called for accountability from the Election Commission, others supported the revision and the governing party. A group identifying itself as concerned with maintaining law and order confronted at least one person raising slogans against the exercise.
The demonstrations also affected traders around Palika Bazaar. Traders gathered near the bazaar and raised slogans about alleged business losses linked to the protests. Jharia, a trader quoted in the report, said his son’s and daughter’s names had been deleted from electoral rolls and demanded that the revision be revoked. He said the protest was directed at the Election Commission rather than a political party.
Students and other participants described the restrictions around established protest locations as a reason for moving into surrounding streets. Ishan, identified as a Hindu College student, said people had a democratic right to protest. Pari, a 19-year-old carrying a book on B R Ambedkar, said she would continue participating despite informal college advisories warning that protests could affect students’ careers.
The report also quoted protesters who alleged earlier police violence and detention. Mumaina, a 73-year-old activist with the All India Democratic Women’s Association, returned after being detained on October 10. Sana, a 32-year-old model, said she had been beaten during earlier police action on July 20 and October 10, and argued that protesters had been pushed out of Jantar Mantar and were therefore using public streets.
The latest gatherings underline the operational tension between managing movement in central Delhi’s high-footfall commercial and administrative areas and allowing public assembly. Police had not intervened against all groups immediately, but began asking protesters to leave as activity continued. The report did not specify the total number of detentions, the legal provisions used or the duration of the restrictions.
