NEW DELHI: Over a hundred people, including two Members of Parliament, were detained by the security forces on Wednesday in central Delhi as they marched toward Jantar Mantar to reclaim it as a site for public protests.
Among those detained during protests were members from a score of student organisations, such as the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) & the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), and MPs V Sivadasan and AA Rahim of the CPM.
“Besides Sivadasan and Rahim, SFI national president Adarsh M Saji and its central executive committee member Abhijeet were also detained,” the outfit claimed. Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) central secretariat member Jaick C Thomas was also detained.
The detentions came as activists of the SFI and the DYFI attempted to march toward Jantar Mantar from Ferozeshah Road, raising slogans for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and calling for the restoration of Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site. They were stopped at police barricades.
Meanwhile, members of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC), including its president Uday Bhanu Chib, held a march in front of the Parliament Street police station against the “brutal police crackdown” on student agitators.
They also echoed the demand for Jantar Mantar to be recognised as a protest site, days after it was denotified. As they marched from the Patel Chowk metro station amid heavy police deployment, the IYC members raised slogans and waved the Congress party’s Swaraj flag.
The IYC also erected several boards in central Delhi against the national poll panel chief. Some hoardings installed outside the Congress headquarters at 24 Akbar Road, Indira Bhawan and the Indian Youth Congress’ (IYC) national office carrying the slogan “Shiv ki Baraat” (Lord Shiva’s wedding procession).
Central Delhi limped back to normalcy toward the end of the day, with various roads adjoining to Jantar Mantar, including Ashoka Road and Parliament Street, seeing regular traffic movement as the curbs eased. The security forces, however, continued to keep vigil.
Meanwhile, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke has called for a protest at Delhi’s Central Park on October 16.
Dipke calls on supporters to gather in CP on Friday
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke has called on “patriots” to gather on Friday at Central Park in Delhi’s business hub Connaught Place with the national flag. AAP, which was set to hit the street on Thursday, also cancelled its mass fast against alleged vote theft scheduled for the day and announced that it would hold a “Tiranga March” at CP on Friday.