The protest in Delhi over allegations of electoral irregularities has a new hero – Neha Bora. Bora, the national president of the Left-wing All India Students’ Association (AISA), was marching towards Jantar Mantar , which has now been made out of bounds for protests, along with leaders and soon became one of the favourites of the internet as she spoke to them via Instagram. The 29-year-old was one of the activists detained this weekend as authorities cracked down on attempts by protesters to oust Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
After becoming associated with AISA, she rose to become its national president. Her public profile has expanded as her participation in student protests and debates around education and other public issues has attracted attention.
“I am in detention. Soft-spoken in conversation but forceful behind a microphone, Bora has built a following through speeches in Hindi and English, often invoking constitutional rights and linking student grievances to broader questions of inequality and government accountability. The protests in Delhi came a day after police detained at least 3,000 to thwart the protest call given by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and backed by the Opposition.
The movement is not,” she said later in a video posted online, urging supporters who were stopped by police to protest wherever they were. Delhi Police said the mass action was preventive as the protest lacked permission.
