Delhi Police denies permission for Oct 2 protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar
Delhi Police has denied permission for a proposed protest at Jantar Mantar on Friday, October 2, against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the functioning of the Election Commission and its handling of electoral rolls, officials said.
The protest has been called by the All India Students' Association (AISA), Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha and Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan. The organisers have sought Kumar's resignation or impeachment, alleging irregularities in electoral rolls and the conduct of elections.
AISA national president Neha Bora, Bhushan and Jha announced the proposed gathering at a press conference on Wednesday.
The protest is scheduled to begin at 11 am on Gandhi Jayanti. A member of one of the organisations said nearly 1,500 people were expected to participate, while police sources estimated that around 3,000 to 4,000 people could attend the gathering.
Section 163 imposed in New Delhi
Delhi Police has imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in the New Delhi district ahead of the proposed protest.
Under the order, public meetings or assemblies of five or more people, processions, demonstrations, picketing and dharnas are prohibited without prior written permission. Slogan-shouting and public speeches are also prohibited without prior permission, police said.
The order has been imposed to maintain public safety and public order and to facilitate smooth traffic movement in the area, officials said.
Central Armed Police Forces personnel have been deployed alongside Delhi Police teams at Jantar Mantar and other key locations in the New Delhi district. Barricades have been put up and additional personnel deployed at entry and exit points and other sensitive locations to regulate movement and prevent any unauthorised gathering.
The organisers have raised concerns over the Election Commission's handling of electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, alleging that the process has raised questions over the protection of citizens' voting rights.
Bora said the organisers had informed the Parliament Street police station about the proposed gathering, including details of the expected turnout, timing and those responsible for organising it.
The proposed protest comes amid wider mobilisation by opposition parties, student groups and civil society activists over the functioning of the poll panel and the SIR exercise.
AAP leaders and workers, members of the Indian Youth Congress and others are also expected to participate, sources said. Former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and AAP leader Atishi have separately appealed to people to join the protest.
The protest is part of a wider political dispute over the Election Commission's handling of electoral-roll revisions. The controversy intensified after The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over 10 months to certain decisions and orders related to the SIR exercise.
The Election Commission has maintained that differing views and observations are a normal part of institutional deliberations and has said that decisions of the three-member panel, including those concerning the SIR, were taken unanimously.
Meanwhile, a separate protest has been announced by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Mumbai's Shivaji Park on October 2. Its founder Abhijeet Dipke has called it a "Jail Bharo Andolan" after Mumbai Police said it was not empowered to grant permission for a gathering at the venue in view of a 2013 Bombay High Court order and the area's status as a silence zone. (with inputs from PTI)
