New Delhi: Central Delhi has been turned into a fortress on Tuesday (October 6) morning as police braced for a march by Opposition MPs to the Election Commission, demanding answers over alleged electoral roll manipulation during the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
It has also been involved in a series of protests being held in the national capital for the past few days. Hundreds of people were detained during the protest hat have been held in the last few days. Three women journalists who were covering the demonstration at Jantar Mantar alleged sexual harassment by police personnel. The police detained several people following a confrontation.
The INDIA bloc (a coalition of lawmakers belonging to Opposition prties) had announced the October 6 march at a meeting on September 30. Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said the MPs would march from Parliament to the Election Commission (EC) at 10.30 am. On October 2, more than 500 protesters, including former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj, AISA President Neha Bora and activist Yogendra Yadav, were detained during demonstrations demanding Kumar’s resignation. On Monday (October 5), protesters gathered outside the Parliament Street police station demanding registration of an FIR in the case. Protesters alleged that they had been waiting outside since Sunday (October 4) evening to seek an update on the complaints and claimed that the police used force during the altercation.
He said the protest would be peaceful and urged the police not to stop the march. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has said it will not take part in the protest march. The Delhi Police said that the complaints had been received and transferred to the Crime Branch, Kamla Market, for a “fair and impartial enquiry”. Police officials said statements of the complainants were recorded and CCTV footage from the area would be examined.
The demonstrations have involved student groups, civil society activists and Opposition supporters. On October 4, AISA President Bora was among protesters detained after student activists again attempted to move towards Jantar Mantar (a designated protest site).
The court is expected to examine who authorised the changes after receiving a report from the EC.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said the Supreme Court had not approved the modifications. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has accused Kumar of changing Form 6 “illegally and unilaterally”. The EC has rejected the allegation as “misleading”. At the same time, in a press statement issued on September 26, the EC had claimed that “the declaration attached to Form 6 for SIR has been upheld by the Hon’ble Supreme Court”.
