NEW DELHI: The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) has approached the Delhi High Court challenging the police order issued on Thursday denying permission for its proposed peaceful demonstration at Jantar Mantar. According to IYC, the petition contends that the police cannot convert the power to regulate a peaceful assembly into a power to prohibit it without an individualised and proportionate assessment.
“The IYC had applied on September 25 for a peaceful demonstration of approximately 100 to 150 people and had undertaken to comply with all lawful conditions concerning security, traffic, discipline and public order. Despite repeated follow-ups, the rejection was communicated only on October 1, the first proposed date of the programme,” the party said.
The petition invokes Articles 14, 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(b) and challenges the mechanical application of the protest guidelines, relying upon settled Supreme Court jurisprudence protecting the right to peaceful assembly and requiring proportionate regulation.
The IYC workers staged a protest on Friday dressed in ghost costumes, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Led by IYC national president Uday Bhanu Chib, the protesters marched towards the Election Commission office from the Youth Congress office. The demonstration was stopped by Delhi Police, who put up barricades.
“Today, our workers have dressed up as ghosts to send a symbolic message to the country. The question is, why are so many questions being raised in the minds of the people about one of the most important institutions of our democracy? If questions are being raised over the Election Commission, the CEC must come forward and resign,” Chib said.
STIR TO BE PEACEFUL: CJP
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke has warned of a fresh protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10 if Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar does not step down. He highlighted that the October 10 protest would be a peaceful agitation and called on citizens who wanted free and fair elections to join it. he had also taken to X to thank former West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee for backing the movement.
