The Indian Youth Congress has launched a legal helpline for people detained or allegedly threatened in connection with protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, after Delhi Police detained at least 500 demonstrators attempting to reach Jantar Mantar on Saturday.
The helpline, 9582223884, will receive complaints from protesters who allege intimidation or harassment linked to their participation in the demonstrations, the Congress youth wing said. It will also facilitate legal assistance for people detained during protests in the national capital.
The detentions took place as demonstrators attempted to attend a proposed protest called by the Cockroach Janta Party against the Chief Election Commissioner. According to sources cited in the report, protesters were detained from multiple locations in New Delhi, including near Regal Cinema, Minto Bridge and Akashwani Bhawan.
Police also deployed drones to monitor the movement of people attempting to reach the protest site, the sources said. The security arrangements affected movement around central Delhi locations that are frequently used for political demonstrations and public gatherings.
The IYC 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. These allegations were made by the organisation and were not independently confirmed 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 amid the heightened security arrangements. The organisation said it would provide support to young people facing action over their participation in the protests and asked those requiring legal assistance to contact the helpline.
The demonstrations follow an investigation by The Indian Express published last month into decisions connected with the Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, of electoral rolls. The investigation reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected on record at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions and orders that they said were issued without their knowledge or recommendation. They also described specific changes to voter enrolment forms as unauthorised and illegal, according to the report.
The Election Commission has rejected suggestions of a split within its three-member panel and maintained that decisions relating to the SIR were taken unanimously. The IYC’s helpline will now serve as the organisation’s stated channel for complaints and legal assistance arising from the detentions and alleged intimidation during the protests.
