The National Students' Union of India (NSUI) on Monday staged a symbolic "living dead" protest in Delhi, demanding the resignation and arrest of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Led by NSUI national president Vinod Jakhar, the protesters marched from the student body's headquarters on Raisina Road towards Jantar Mantar, portraying themselves as "living dead" to highlight threats to voters' rights and the electoral process.
The protesters carried placards with slogans including "vote ki chori nahi chalegi, janta ki awaaz nahi dabegi" (vote theft will not be tolerated, the people's voice will not be suppressed).
The NSUI said several protesters, including Jakhar, were detained by the Delhi Police during the demonstration. The student organisation condemned the detentions, alleging that its members were being silenced for raising questions about the electoral process.
"Today, NSUI members became living dead to send a powerful message to the country: when the votes of citizens are stolen, and their democratic rights are undermined, what meaning does democracy have?" Jakhar said.
"We are demanding accountability from the Election Commission and the immediate resignation and arrest of CEC Gyanesh Kumar," he added.
NSUI media in-charge Ravi Hanuman Pandey termed the detentions "shameful and condemnable", saying the students were protesting peacefully and seeking accountability from the poll panel.
The protest comes amid continuing demonstrations in Delhi over allegations of irregularities in the electoral process, with Opposition leaders and activists being detained during protests near Jantar Mantar in recent days.
(With inputs from PTI)
