Jantar Mantar Protest: AAP Leaders Detained, 11 Metro Stations Closed
AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj and several protesters were detained during demonstrations against CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the SIR electoral-roll revision in Delhi.
AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj and several party workers were detained on October 2 during a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The protest involved Opposition parties, student organisations and civil society groups, with demonstrators demanding Kumar’s resignation.
Delhi Police had denied permission for the gathering and imposed restrictions under Section 163 of the BNSS across the New Delhi district. Heavy security, barricades and drone surveillance were deployed around the protest site. Police later said around 500 protesters had been detained from and around Jantar Mantar.
The restrictions also affected public transport. Entry and exit at 11 Delhi Metro stations, including Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat and New Delhi, were closed amid the security arrangements, while traffic advisories were issued for central Delhi.
Bharadwaj said the protest was intended to raise concerns over alleged irregularities in the electoral-roll revision and urged supporters to demonstrate peacefully. The allegations surrounding SIR remain contested, with protesters raising concerns about voter deletions while election authorities maintain that the revision is aimed at updating electoral rolls.
Meanwhile, Opposition parties have announced further demonstrations, including district-level gatherings and a planned rally outside the Election Commission’s office on October 6. Delhi’s Gandhi Jayanti plans clearly came with extra barricades, closed metro gates and a full security checklist.
