The Students' Federation of India (SFI) and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) on Tuesday held a joint protest march from Firoz Shah Road to Jantar Mantar, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the restoration of Jantar Mantar as a designated protest venue.
They attempted to march towards Jantar Mantar from Ferozeshah Road but were stopped at police barricades.
During the joint march, the Left students raised slogans such as "Reclaim Jantar Mantar" and "Gyanesh Kumar must resign", reiterating their demands.
Visuals circulating on social media showed SFI and DYFI activists being stopped at police barricades on Ferozeshah Road as they attempted to proceed towards Jantar Mantar.
Reaffirming their resolve to continue the agitation, the student activists said Jantar Mantar "shall be reclaimed", asserting that the protest was gaining strength as more people were joining it.
The protest comes after Jantar Mantar was de-notified as a designated site for organising protests and demonstrations in Delhi. According to an official notice, the Delhi Police has designated Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in East Delhi as the three alternative venues.
The de-notification was announced on October 12, the same day representatives of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) approached the Parliament Street Police Station to submit a letter seeking a date and time for their proposed peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had constituted a committee to examine alternative venues where citizens could exercise their right to organise protests and demonstrations. Jantar Mantar was de-notified based on the committee's recommendations.
Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar said a detailed and revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for organising protests and demonstrations at the three designated venues would be issued separately.
The development comes amid intensifying opposition protests against the Election Commission over allegations of electoral manipulation and the subversion of democratic institutions. Leaders and parliamentarians of the opposition INDIA bloc earlier launched a massive protest march from Connaught Place in central Delhi.
Earlier on Tuesday, Delhi Police said it had arrested three CJP activists over alleged repeated attempts to disturb public peace, violate the law and use social media to instigate others to engage in similar unlawful activities.
Two of the activists, Sourav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were remanded to five days of judicial custody, while Ajinkya Shinde was bound down for six months to maintain peace and good behaviour.
According to a Delhi Police statement, the action followed an incident on the morning of October 13, when the three activists and 11 other CJP members allegedly entered the de-notified Jantar Mantar protest site through private premises.
Police personnel deployed at the site intervened and attempted to stop them. The protesters allegedly obstructed the personnel in the discharge of their official duties, the police statement claimed.
The CJP reiterated that its demand for Gyanesh Kumar's resignation remained unchanged and that it would continue to challenge the de-notification of Jantar Mantar.
The party said it would not abandon its demand for electoral accountability or accept the removal of a historic protest venue as a reason to retreat from peaceful democratic action.
(With inputs from ANI)
