Jantar Mantar 2.0: 200 Protesters Arrested Despite SC Order Against Illegal Detentions

New Delhi: The stir seeking resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar intensified on Sunday, leading to massive detentions and a continued police crackdown for the second day. Despite the Supreme Court of India ordering the government against illegal detentions and harassment of journalists, over 200 protesters were arrested, journalists detained, and many injured during police crackdown. Angry over the alleged police brutality, the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has now called for a nationwide movement to push its demand for CEC’s resignation, saying “Jantar Mantar 2.0 is on.”

“We are on the streets, we will stay on the streets. We will abide by the Constitution,” said Students Federation of India leader Aishe Ghosh while announcing the Jantar Mantar 2.0 at a press conference.

As the main protest site, Jantar Mantar remained out of bounds, the protestors on Sunday shifted focus to nearby Connaught Place and swarmed its streets and bylanes, making the popular tourist destination a battleground of barricades, slogans, confrontation and detentions. While Saturday saw flash protests, the protesters were more concentrated in one area on Sunday. Raising slogans of “Gyanesh Kumar isteefa,” they marched towards Jantar Mantar, where security personnel pounced upon them and bundled them in buses. There were allegations of police brutality and right wing groups aiding the cops in assaulting protestors. Among those detained were CPI(M) MP John Brittas, AISA’s Neha Bora, students, activists and journalists. Later, Mr Brittas had to be taken to hospital after allegedly being roughed up by police. Reports of police attacking and assaulting students, even inside the police vehicle were also claimed.

Delhi Police registered 20 FIRs during the two-day protest, charges include assault on cops. Central Delhi remained under heavy security arrangements to stop the protesters.

Shortly after being released from preventive detention, CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das vowed to continue their agitation against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, saying the protest would now expand nationwide. They appealed to the political parties to unite against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls saying the exercise raises questions about voting rights and should not be treated as the concern of any single political party. The Congress party has already announced a nationwide movement on Monday, while Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi announced a march to the Supreme Court on Monday.

Earlier on Sunday morning, Mr Dipke, Mr Ranka and Mr Das were released after being produced before the executive magistrate. Shortly after release, Mr Dipke had left for Nagpur to attend the last rite rituals of his grandmother who died on Saturday. The three CJP leaders were released on a condition that there should be no breach of peace by them for a year. “They have said there should be no breach of peace for a year. The breach of peace has been caused by (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi, (Home Minister) Amit Shah and Gyanesh Kumar,” Mr Das said. Mr Ranka said developments over the past 72 hours had reminded people of the Emergency. “Even in 1975, trains were not shut,” he said, accusing the Prime Minister and Home Minister of turning an agitation against the Election Commission into a confrontation with the Opposition.

YouTuber Dhruv Rathee alleged that around 20 people in plain clothes entered his residence on Saturday morning and took him to different police stations, denying him access to a phone and a lawyer for around 22 to 23 hours.

The CJP leaders alleged that the Modi government had created an “emergency-like situation” through train cancellations, restrictions on protests and detention of activists. In a press conference Mr Das alleged that the government is at war with its citizens adding it could have invited a delegation for talks instead of restricting protesters seeking to demonstrate at a designated site.

AISA president Neha Bora clung to a barricade as security personnel dragged her away. The SFI alleged that male police personnel assaulted women protesters, including its leader Aishe Ghosh. It also claimed that Father Biju Xavier, vicar of Sacred Heart Church, was detained while recording the alleged police action.

The most serious incident involved Mr Brittas, who was physically lifted by police personnel during his detention. He collapsed on the steps of a police bus and was subsequently taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, where CPI(M) general secretary M. A. Baby and RJD MP Manoj Jha visited him. In a post on X, the CPI(M) alleged that Mr Brittas had been “brutally attacked” and left by the roadside in an injured and distressed condition. “Delhi Police has crossed all limits,” the party said. Mr Brittas accused the police of excessive force. “Modi and Shah will pay a heavy price for this. The Delhi Police have become mad dogs,” he wrote on X.

Mr Brittas said he has written to the President, the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and the Chief Justice of India seeking urgent intervention and fixing accountability for the police personnel, and action on the question of parliamentary privilege.