Police detained dozens of youth protesters in New Delhi on the second straight day of demonstrations demanding the chief election commissioner’s resignation over alleged voter-roll irregularities.
The demonstrations have been backed by key opposition parties, including the popular Gen Z-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), who say voter-roll changes give an advantage to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
There was a heavy police presence around Jantar Mantar, a government-designated protest site in the heart of New Delhi, which remained sealed off behind police barricades.
Local media reports said more than 100 protesters demanding that Election Commission of India (ECI) chief Gyanesh Kumar step down were detained.
“Delhi Police must stop its crackdown on protesting students and activists,” CJP chief Abhijeet Dipke said in a social media post.
“Every attempt to suppress peaceful protesters will only bring more people to the streets and strengthen the march to Jantar Mantar,” Dipke added.
“Dissent is a democratic right. It cannot be crushed through intimidation or force”.
Delhi police did not comment on the reported detentions but warned that “unauthorised gatherings”, processions and demonstrations were prohibited around Jantar Mantar.
“No permission has been granted for any protest scheduled for today ... nor has any prior intimation regarding any such protest been received by New Delhi District Police,” police said.
Anti-government activist Yogendra Yadav said: “If a designated protest site cannot accommodate peaceful dissent, where does democracy leave room for protest?”
A newspaper investigation by The Indian Express last month alleged impropriety during a large-scale voter-roll revision that left millions of names struck from the lists.
The Election Commission of India has rejected allegations of wrongdoing. Kumar himself has not commented.
Meanwhile, Indian police launched an investigation yesterday into allegations of sexual harassment against officers during the protests.
The harassment allegations were made on Saturday when police detained scores of protesters around Jantar Mantar.
“Allegations of sexual harassment were made by three female journalists against police officers,” Delhi police said in a statement, promising “a fair and impartial enquiry”.
In a video posted on social media, a complainant said that a police officer pushed and touched her “inappropriately”.
Neha Bora, an activist from a left-wing student organisation, called for protesters to march to New Delhi’s central India Gate.
“From Streets to Protests, Women Are NOT SAFE!,” she said in a post on social media. — AFP
