Neha Bora calls for protest march in Delhi on Sunday

AISA national president Neha Bora has called for a protest march from India Gate to Jantar Mantar on Sunday, alleging that she was abused and injured by Delhi Police personnel during protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

In a post on X on Saturday, Bora announced a “Citizens' March” at 3 pm from India Gate to Jantar Mantar, followed by a protest at 4 pm, and urged people to join what she described as a mobilisation against police action during the protests.

“From streets to protests, women are NOT SAFE!” Bora said in the post, alleging that Delhi Police had assaulted women protesters and journalists. She called for people to “rise against Delhi Police”, “rise against anti-women SIR” and “rise against Gyanesh Kumar”.

Bora also alleged that she had been abused by Delhi Police personnel during the crackdown on protesters. In a video accompanying her allegations, she showed bruises on her body, which she said were caused by police action.

The allegations come a day after Bora was among protesters detained while marching towards Jantar Mantar to demand Kumar’s resignation over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. On Saturday, she was detained again along with activist Yogendra Yadav, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan and others.

AISA members separately alleged that a male police officer manhandled Bora during Saturday’s police action and that another officer abused her. The allegations could not be independently verified immediately, according to PTI.

The Saturday protest was the second consecutive day of demonstrations around Jantar Mantar. Police said permission had not been granted for the protests and detained around 150 people on Saturday, while several hundred were detained during Friday’s demonstrations.

Bora’s announcement comes amid heightened security in central Delhi, with prohibitory orders in force in the New Delhi district and thousands of police and paramilitary personnel deployed around Jantar Mantar.

The proposed march is being billed by Bora as “Jantar Mantar 2.0”, with the organisers linking the mobilisation to allegations of police action against women protesters and journalists as well as opposition to the SIR exercise.