Protesters from Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru have reached Delhi or are travelling to the capital for an October 10 demonstration at Jantar Mantar, where they plan to seek Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. Their journeys come amid reports of people being detained and questioned ahead of the protest, leaving some participants uncertain about whether they will reach the venue.
An information technology professional from Mumbai, who attended an earlier June-July protest in Delhi, said his participation had affected his employment. He took unplanned leave to join that agitation and received a warning letter from his employer after returning to Mumbai. He later resigned and is waiting to join another company.
The participant returned to Delhi with a friend for the October 10 protest and said the employment consequences were not his immediate concern. “Voting is our basic right,” he said, adding that he was worried about developments surrounding the issue. He also said he had seen reports of people being detained and questioned.
“Until he (Gyanesh Kumar) resigns, I will stay here,” the Mumbai resident said, referring to the chief election commissioner. His account illustrates the personal costs some participants associate with attending demonstrations, although the source report does not establish whether his employment action was formally linked to his protest participation beyond the warning letter he described.
A resident of Pune who works for a security supervision company was travelling to Delhi by road with friends. The group was changing vehicles during the journey, he said, while uncertainty over reported detentions made it unclear whether they would reach the capital. He described the journey as his first attempt to attend a protest in Delhi.
“Whatever is happening feels wrong. We want to support the cause,” the Pune resident said. His account points to the logistical challenges faced by participants travelling across states for a time-bound demonstration, including transport changes and concerns about access to the protest site.
A young man from Bengaluru arrived in Delhi earlier in the week and was staying with a friend. He had wanted to join the June-July protest but could not travel because of work commitments. This time, he planned the journey in advance and said accommodation had not been a problem.
“I don’t know how things will unfold, but I want to be here and make my voice heard,” he said.
The planned gathering at Jantar Mantar is focused on a demand for the resignation of Kumar. The source report records the participants’ accounts and concerns but does not provide an official statement from the Election Commission, Delhi Police or other authorities on the reported detentions, the conditions governing the October 10 protest, or the arrangements at the venue. The next immediate milestone is the scheduled demonstration in Delhi.
