New Delhi: Delhi Police on Friday detained several protesters during a march towards the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with demonstrators alleging that the exercise could lead to the deletion of eligible voters.
The march, organised by the Delhi Coordination Committee of the People Against SIR platform, began near Gole Dak Khana at the intersection of Kalibari Marg and Bhai Vir Singh Marg. The protesters sought to march towards the ECI headquarters to register their opposition to the revision process.
Police personnel stopped the demonstrators on Ashoka Road and issued warnings asking them to vacate the protest site before detaining several participants. The detained protesters were subsequently taken away in police vans.
When the march was halted, the demonstrators staged a sit-in and held a ‘People’s Parliament’, as announced by the organisers. A participant said the protest was not about reclaiming Jantar Mantar but about “saving democracy and the country”.
Activists from various organisations, including the Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), joined the demonstration. Participants from Delhi, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh took part in the march.
The protest also received support from farmer organisations, trade unions and civil society groups. The Samyukt Kisan Morcha and the People Against SIR platform have been mobilising support for nationwide demonstrations against the electoral roll revision exercise.
Senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat criticised the Union government over the SIR process. Calling for an end to what she described as an attack on the right to vote and the Constitution, Karat demanded that the government halt the exercise and ensure the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The nationwide protests have also seen demands for the removal and prosecution of the Chief Election Commissioner.
Security arrangements were tightened in central Delhi ahead of the demonstration, with Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force personnel deployed in large numbers near Bangla Sahib Gurudwara.
The Delhi Police had issued a traffic advisory announcing diversions between 1 pm and 5 pm around Bangla Sahib Gurudwara and Jantar Mantar in view of the protest.
Meanwhile, the Union Home Ministry extended the deployment of 273 companies of Central Armed Police Forces in the national capital until October 31, citing the possibility of sudden protests by political and other groups, official sources said.
The developments come amid mounting opposition from various organisations to the SIR exercise, which has triggered concerns over voter inclusion and the integrity of electoral rolls.
