Delhi Police detain 500+ at Jantar Mantar protest against election chief over voter-roll revision

More than 500 protesters, including Aam Aadmi Party leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj, Sanjeev Jha, Atishi and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, were detained by Delhi Police on Friday during a protest at Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, PTI reported.

The demonstrators are demanding the CEC’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the mass deletion of voters. Student activists from SFI, DYFI, AISA and NSUI took part, PTI reported.

Police stopped Sanjay Singh at North Avenue from reaching the protest site. Bharadwaj said on X that he and Jha were detained despite what he described as a peaceful protest; he said police cited a lack of permission, adding the party had applied about a week earlier. Police said they had denied permission and imposed Section 163 of the BNSS in the New Delhi district, citing the expected turnout.

Delhi Metro shut entry and exit at 12 stations according to PTI, and at 11 according to the Economic Times’ detailed update; four interchanges were kept open. Internet services were suspended around the protest site, and around 700 SFI supporters were stopped at the Ashoka Road roundabout, a police source said.

SFI general secretary Aishe Ghosh said several DYFI and SFI activists had been detained, adding: “This is not democracy… this is just the start.”

Sources

• PTI via ThePrint — New Delhi, October 2, 2026
• New Indian Express — October 2, 2026 (6:32am)
• Economic Times liveblog — October 2, 2026