Protests surrounding the Special Intensive Revision, known as SIR, of voter lists have intensified significantly across the national capital. On Sunday, workers and senior leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party gathered at the historic India Gate to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Security personnel moved in to disperse the gathering, detaining at least 25 AAP functionaries, including Delhi AAP chief Saurabh Bharadwaj and party legislator Sanjeev Jha. The demonstration stems from allegations of widespread irregularities and improper deletion of voter names during the revision process, while the Election Commission maintains that all operational procedures strictly follow legal provisions.
Demonstration at India Gate and Police Interventions
A substantial contingent of AAP members assembled at India Gate on Sunday, raising slogans directly targeting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and demanding that he step down from his post. Delhi Police personnel deployed at the venue intervened to halt the unapproved gathering and took numerous participants into custody. According to a police officer, at least 25 AAP workers were placed under detention during the security operation, with Saurabh Bharadwaj and Sanjeev Jha among those rounded up by the forces.
Saurabh Bharadwaj Alleges Physical Mistreatment
Following his detention, Saurabh Bharadwaj leveled severe accusations against the handling of demonstrators by Delhi Police personnel. Sharing a visual on social media, the AAP leader claimed that security officers deliberately lifted him in an awkward posture so that his face could not be captured by media cameras. He had earlier used online platforms to urge citizens to assemble at India Gate in solidarity.
Venting his outrage over the police measures, Saurabh Bharadwaj said that officers threw him around like a football. He described being carried away upside down, with his head facing downward and feet in the air, while questioning why authorities avoid filing a first information report against their own ACP while treating people standing up for a girl's rights with such harshness. Sharing a picture highlighting his shoes suspended in the air, he asserted that Delhi Police deliberately flipped him upside down to keep his face away from news cameras.
MLA Sanjeev Jha Calls for Transparency
Addressing the demonstration, AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha argued that those holding positions of authority cannot evade citizens' genuine concerns regarding their constitutional franchise. He noted that matters involving public voting rights cannot be solved through bureaucratic silence, coercive intimidation, or harsh police clampdowns. Jha stressed that state institutions must address public doubts transparently through verifiable facts and open procedures. The Aam Aadmi Party asserts that the SIR initiative has resulted in sweeping, unauthorized voter removals, leading opposition groups to demand direct accountability and formal explanations from the election authority.
AISA Students March Toward Jantar Mantar
Parallel to the political demonstration, the All India Students Association, known as AISA, staged street demonstrations for the third consecutive day in the city. The student demonstrators organized a march from Andhra Bhawan Circle on Ashoka Road, advancing toward Jantar Mantar. The local administration had established extensive multi-layer barricades and deployed heavy police contingents along the route to halt the procession.
Tensions flared when marching students attempted to bypass the physical barriers, triggering scuffles and pushing between the crowd and police personnel. Video footage circulating across social media showed AISA president Neha Bora climbing over metal barricades as police officers worked to restrain her and hold the perimeter line.
Hundreds Taken into Custody Over Recent Days
Sunday's detentions reflect an escalating series of confrontations over the electoral roll revision across New Delhi. Just a day prior on Saturday, police detained around 150 people near Jantar Mantar during similar demonstrations, including AISA president Neha Bora, activist Yogendra Yadav, and senior advocate Prashant Bhushan.
That followed an even larger demonstration on Friday, during which more than 500 protesters were taken into police custody throughout Delhi. That initial wave of detentions similarly encompassed political figures from AAP, various student representatives, and AISA members demanding institutional accountability.
The Core Dispute Over the SIR Revision
The controversy revolves around the Special Intensive Revision mechanism deployed for updating electoral registers. Protesting organizations allege that the process has purged large volumes of legitimate voters from the rolls without due diligence, effectively stripping citizens of their fundamental right to cast ballots. In response, protesters continue to insist on the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The agitation has spilled beyond the capital into other major metropolitan centers, including Mumbai. Facing persistent mobilization, Delhi Police have heavily reinforced security deployments and set up checkpoints across central Delhi and Jantar Mantar to prevent gatherings at designated protest zones.
