New Delhi: The protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar was set to continue at Jantar Mantar in the national capital on Saturday, a day after hundreds of demonstrators were detained across Delhi during the Gandhi Jayanti agitation.
The announcement of the renewed demonstration came from All India Students' Association national president Neha Bora, according to a live report. Student groups, opposition parties and the self-styled Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) have been jointly spearheading the agitation.
Why protesters are demanding his exit
The protesters allege irregularities in the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and claim the exercise could lead to the deletion of genuine voters. The unrest traces back to a newspaper report that said Kumar's deputies had questioned him over changes to voter lists which opposition groups allege benefit the ruling party.
The Election Commission has rejected the charge, saying differences among officers are normal in any institution and that all its actions were lawful.
What happened on Friday
Thousands of protesters took to the streets in Mumbai and Delhi on Friday. In Mumbai, the CJP-led demonstration was attended by several film personalities. In Delhi, police denied permission for a Jantar Mantar gathering, sealed the area and deployed more than 4,000 personnel, with thousands of officers fanning out across central Delhi. Barricades were put up and entry and exit gates at several metro stations were shut.
Delhi Police detained around 550 protesters, including former Delhi chief minister Atishi, AAP leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj and Sanjay Singh, RJD MP Manoj Jha and several activists. All the detainees were released by evening.
Political backing and next steps
The agitation drew political support on Friday, with Mamata Banerjee backing the CJP-led protest and urging an end to what she described as "atrocities" against the demonstrators.
CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke has now warned that the group will hold another demonstration at Jantar Mantar on October 10 if Gyanesh Kumar does not resign. With the AAP, Left parties, Congress youth and student wings and groups such as AISA, SFI and NSUI already part of the agitation, Delhi police are bracing for another round of protests in the heart of the capital.
Sources: Protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar LIVE: Demonstration to resume in Delhi — The Hindu · India News Live Updates 3 October 2026: CJP protest — The Indian Express
The announcement of the renewed demonstration came from All India Students' Association national president Neha Bora, according to a live report. Student groups, opposition parties and the self-styled Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) have been jointly spearheading the agitation.
Why protesters are demanding his exit
The protesters allege irregularities in the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and claim the exercise could lead to the deletion of genuine voters. The unrest traces back to a newspaper report that said Kumar's deputies had questioned him over changes to voter lists which opposition groups allege benefit the ruling party.
The Election Commission has rejected the charge, saying differences among officers are normal in any institution and that all its actions were lawful.
What happened on Friday
Thousands of protesters took to the streets in Mumbai and Delhi on Friday. In Mumbai, the CJP-led demonstration was attended by several film personalities. In Delhi, police denied permission for a Jantar Mantar gathering, sealed the area and deployed more than 4,000 personnel, with thousands of officers fanning out across central Delhi. Barricades were put up and entry and exit gates at several metro stations were shut.
Delhi Police detained around 550 protesters, including former Delhi chief minister Atishi, AAP leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj and Sanjay Singh, RJD MP Manoj Jha and several activists. All the detainees were released by evening.
Political backing and next steps
The agitation drew political support on Friday, with Mamata Banerjee backing the CJP-led protest and urging an end to what she described as "atrocities" against the demonstrators.
CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke has now warned that the group will hold another demonstration at Jantar Mantar on October 10 if Gyanesh Kumar does not resign. With the AAP, Left parties, Congress youth and student wings and groups such as AISA, SFI and NSUI already part of the agitation, Delhi police are bracing for another round of protests in the heart of the capital.
Sources: Protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar LIVE: Demonstration to resume in Delhi — The Hindu · India News Live Updates 3 October 2026: CJP protest — The Indian Express
