Delhi Police register three FIRs over protests against CEC Gyanesh Kumar

The Delhi Police have registered at least three FIRs in connection with Friday’s protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, after students’ organisations, political parties and civil society groups were stopped from gathering at Jantar Mantar to demand his resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

According to a report by the Hindustan Times, the FIRs were registered at Parliament Street and Connaught Place police stations under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant, according to two senior police officers.

No individuals or organisations have been named in the accused column of the FIRs, the officers said. However, the FIRs mention the organisers and organisations that had proposed and participated in the demonstrations.

The cases were registered on the basis of daily diary entries made by police officials. It was not immediately clear whether additional provisions of the BNS or other laws had been invoked.

Police said the FIRs were filed because protesters violated prohibitory orders imposed across the New Delhi district under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

The orders, announced by the Delhi Police on Friday morning, prohibited public meetings and assemblies of five or more people, processions, demonstrations, picketing and dharnas without prior written permission. They also prohibited activities including slogan shouting and carrying banners, placards, sticks and other specified articles.

Police had warned that violations would invite action under Section 223 of the BNS and other applicable laws.

The protests were called for 11 am at Jantar Mantar by the Aam Aadmi Party, All India Students’ Association (AISA), Students’ Federation of India (SFI), National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), Indian Youth Congress and other student and youth organisations.

Around 1,000 people were detained across Delhi during the day as police and security forces prevented protesters from reaching Jantar Mantar, according to police officials. Nearly 750 people were detained in areas around Jantar Mantar and another 400 elsewhere in the city, while around 200 people were placed under house arrest, according to reports.

Those detained included former Delhi chief minister and AAP leader Atishi, AISA president Neha Bora and Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav, besides other AAP leaders, civil society activists, members of Left-backed student organisations and Congress youth workers.

More than 5,000 security personnel were deployed in and around Jantar Mantar as authorities sought to prevent protesters from reaching the designated protest site.

The demonstrations were held amid a wider campaign against the Election Commission’s SIR exercise, which critics allege has resulted in the exclusion of large numbers of eligible voters. The Election Commission has rejected the allegations and maintained that the revision is intended to ensure that electoral rolls contain only eligible voters.