AISA marches to Jantar Mantar for third day; AAP workers detained at India Gate over CEC demand

AISA activists on Sunday staged a protest for the third consecutive day demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and attempted to reach Jantar Mantar despite heavy barricading and security deployment in the area.

The mobilisation began at Andhra Bhawan Circle on Ashoka Road, from where the protesters marched towards Jantar Mantar, raising slogans as they tried to cross the barricades erected by police.

The protesters and security personnel briefly clashed as police prevented them from proceeding towards the designated protest site. Purported visuals circulated on social media showed AISA national president Neha Bora attempting to climb a barricade as police officials tried to stop her.

Separately, more than a dozen Aam Aadmi Party workers were detained by police while protesting at India Gate for Kumar's resignation.

Delhi AAP chief Saurabh Bharadwaj and party MLA Sanjeev Jha were among those detained.

A police officer said at least 25 AAP workers were detained during the protest.

Bharadwaj alleged on X that Delhi Police turned him upside down at India Gate to prevent cameras from capturing his face. "These are my shoes in the air," he said, sharing a photograph.

These r my shoes in the air.

At India Gate today, @DelhiPolice turned me upside down so that my face is not captured by cameras. https://t.co/UAfo4xy4hx

— Saurabh Bharadwaj (@Saurabh_MLAgk) October 4, 2026

Jha said concerns over voting rights should be addressed through transparency and facts rather than "silence, pressure or police action".

The protest is part of a wider agitation in several cities over alleged irregularities in the functioning of the Election Commission, the conduct of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and alleged mass deletion of voters.

Sunday's mobilisation came a day after more than 150 protesters were detained in Delhi. More than 500 protesters, including student activists and political leaders, were detained during demonstrations in central Delhi on Friday. Bora, AAP leaders and activist Yogendra Yadav were among those detained that day.

Police had denied permission for Friday's gathering and deployed additional personnel in central Delhi. Several roads leading to Jantar Mantar were barricaded and access to some nearby metro stations was temporarily restricted during the protests.

The latest demonstration comes amid a report by The Indian Express that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected at least 14 times over the past 10 months to decisions and orders related to the SIR, saying they were issued without their knowledge or recommendation.

The Election Commission, facing criticism over the reported objections, has said that differing views and observations are a normal part of institutional deliberations. It has maintained that all its orders have full legal sanction and follow established statutory procedures.

(With inputs from PTI)

Left at centre of Opposition stir for CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s ouster, SIR halt