A protest march in Connaught Place demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar drew student groups, activists and residents on October 16, while heavy security restrictions around Central Park were followed by detentions in the evening.
The demonstrations marked the seventh consecutive day of protests over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls. Groups holding national flags began gathering near Central Park from around 3 p.m., ahead of the ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march announced by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and Left student organisations.
A Delhi Police official told The Hindu that around 10,000 personnel from the Delhi Police, Central Reserve Police Force and Rapid Action Force were deployed in Connaught Place. Central Park was closed, and roads leading to the commercial district saw a substantial security presence. Police began detaining protesters after 7.30 p.m., according to the report.
The restrictions affected access to one of central Delhi’s busiest public and commercial areas. Several youth organisations, including the All India Students’ Federation, Students’ Federation of India, Democratic Youth Federation of India, All India Youth Federation and Krantikari Yuva Sangathan, held marches in and around Connaught Place. Groups later converged near Palika Bazar gates 1 and 2, where they recited the national anthem.
Member of Parliament John Brittas and MP A.A. Rahim led a march from the SFI community centre on Firoz Shah Road towards Central Park. The group, which carried the national flag, was joined by more than 100 protesters and raised slogans demanding the withdrawal of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Mr. Brittas said closing parks and designated protest spaces could not suppress demonstrations, adding that “Jantar Mantar is everywhere”.
The All India Students’ Association organised another march from Mandi House circle. Its president, Neha Bora, was detained shortly afterwards, while more than a dozen AISA protesters continued towards Connaught Place. The report said the main leaders of two Aam Aadmi Party marches were not detained.
The Aam Aadmi Party held one march with a 270-foot-long tricolour from North Avenue towards the area near Rashtrapati Bhavan. A second march from the party headquarters towards Connaught Place was stopped about 500 metres from its destination. AAP Delhi vice-president and MLA Kuldeep Kumar described unfurling the national flag as a constitutional right.
Residents and participants also travelled from outside Delhi. Udit, a software engineer from Ghaziabad, said he had joined the protest because he believed waving the national flag should not be treated as a crime. Kajal and Naina, who travelled from Kanpur, said they had come to demand Mr. Kumar’s resignation.
R.K. Sharma, 59, said public confidence in the election system needed to be restored and referred to former Chief Election Commissioner T.N. Seshan as an example of an impartial election official. His comments reflected the wider demand raised by protesters, although the allegations concerning electoral rolls were not independently established in the supplied report.
Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra praised the police response and alleged that the protest was an attempt by the CJP, its foreign sponsors and Opposition parties to create disorder in Connaught Place. He said only a small number of youths had reached the area and described the protest as having failed to meet its objective.
