Delhi AAP president Saurabh Bharadwaj and party MLA Sanjeev Jha were detained by Delhi Police on Friday after reaching Jantar Mantar to join a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The demonstration was organised amid demands from opposition and student groups over the Election Commission’s handling of electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
More Than 500 Protesters Detained
Delhi Police detained more than 500 protesters from Jantar Mantar and nearby areas, according to police officials and reports. Another police official later put the figure at around 700, including AAP leaders and members of student organisations.
Bharadwaj Says Protest Was Peaceful
After being detained, Bharadwaj shared a video message on X claiming that he and Sanjeev Jha were detained despite the protest being peaceful. He called on supporters to continue the demonstration.
AAP also posted that the “movement will continue” following the detention of its leaders. These statements represent the party’s position.
Bharadwaj Says Hundreds Had Reached Jantar Mantar
Before and during the protest, Bharadwaj said that more than 500 people had reached Jantar Mantar and urged young people to join the gathering. He also used the phrase “Gen Z rocks” in a post on X.
Police Had Denied Permission
The Delhi Police had denied permission for the proposed protest, citing security and crowd-management concerns. Police had expected between 3,000 and 4,000 people to attend and had deployed additional personnel and barricades around central Delhi.
The protest was called by groups including AISA, SFI, NSUI and other political and student organisations, with participants demanding action against CEC Gyanesh Kumar over allegations concerning the SIR process and electoral rolls. The allegations are disputed and do not by themselves establish wrongdoing by the Election Commission.
The situation around Jantar Mantar remained tense as police continued detaining protesters attempting to gather at the designated protest area.