Delhi protest restrictions around Jantar Mantar, Connaught Place, Janpath and Parliament Street pushed demonstrators to alternative locations on Saturday, while journalists and protesters reported difficulties moving through central Delhi. The protest groups were seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the rollback of the Special Intensive Revision.
Police had denied permission for the demonstration at Jantar Mantar, prompting All India Students’ Association national president Neha Bora and other activists to mobilise from Jor Bagh towards Dilli Haat-INA. Bora was accompanied by psephologist Yogendra Yadav, lawyer Prashant Bhushan and CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, according to the report.
Bora later wrote on social media, “I am in detention, but the movement is not,” and asked supporters to gather near Safdarjung Flyover and Sri Aurobindo Marg. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were intercepted and detained after arriving in the area.
The report also described disruptions to movement around central Delhi. Restrictions and barricades near Connaught Place, Janpath and Parliament Street prevented some protesters from reaching Jantar Mantar. Around 30 to 50 protesters later took shelter inside Bangla Sahib as police restricted movement near the protest zone.
Some protesters alleged that they had been taken between 20 and 50 kilometres away and released, making it difficult for them to regroup. Sarika, a research scholar who declined to identify her institution, alleged that police and Central Reserve Police Force personnel chased protesters towards the gurdwara. She also alleged that some people outside were dragged away. These allegations were not independently verified.
Danish, an AISA joint secretary, alleged that police lathi-charged students, misbehaved with women protesters and dragged some detainees by their hair. He also claimed that officers did not tell detainees where they were being taken. Delhi Police had not commented on these allegations at the time of reporting.
The restrictions also affected journalists attempting to cover the protest. Reporters from several organisations said they were stopped while travelling towards Connaught Place, Jantar Mantar and Parliament Street despite carrying media identification. A journalist with Informist Media said she was stopped while travelling from Mandi House towards Connaught Place and directed towards India Gate.
According to the report, a Delhi Police head constable told the journalist that the identity card shown was not valid for passage. A senior police official said government guidelines should have been stricter because not every journalist carried a Press Information Bureau card. The incident raised questions over how guidelines requiring journalists to carry valid identification were being implemented on the ground.
The protest action continued after the groups were prevented from assembling at Jantar Mantar. Organisers and authorities had not announced a further official arrangement for the demonstration at the time of reporting.
