New Delhi: Demonstrations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over ‘vote chori’ refused to abate on Sunday as protesters confronted police for the third consecutive in their bid to reach the iconic Jant…

New Delhi: Demonstrations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over ‘vote chori’ refused to abate on Sunday as protesters confronted police for the third consecutive in their bid to reach the iconic Jantar Mantar, leading to detention of several people.A number of students, youth and civil society activists participated in the protest that started in the afternoon and were detained but many of them freed themselves from detention by breaking or removing the windows of a bus and a van hired by police.AISA president Neha Bora was among the first to be detained soon after the protest march started from near India Gate. She was taken in a car to Narela Industrial Area Police Station, around 40 km from where she was detained, and released there, by an all male group of policemen, with AISA and women lawyers insisting that it was violation of procedure.AAP leaders, workers detained during India Gate-Jantar Mantar protestAn independent journalist, who accused an ACP of sexually harassing her during a protest on Saturday, was also detained, AISA said. For the third consecutive day, Jantar Mantar was fortified by erecting barricades and deploying a large number of police and paramilitary personnel.The march had started from Andhra Bhavan Circle on Ashoka Road, near India Gate, with protesters raising slogans against the government, CEC and police. Protesters and police had a face-off as the former were prevented from crossing barricades. Before being detained, Neha and others were seen climbing over a barricade.Though protesters managed to move forward, they could not reach Jantar Mantar. The government and police appear not to have a repeat of the CJP-like protest at Jantar Mantar in June-July that led to the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Education Minister. While a police officer claimed some protesters “attacked” police on duty and “bit” them, protesters claimed several of the police personnel did not wear nameplates and manhandled them while detaining them.Earlier in the day, a number of AAP activists, including Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj and MLS Sanjeev Jha, were detained while protesting at India Gate on the same issue. Bharadwaj said on ‘X’ he was turned upside down by Delhi Police at India Gate to hide his face from cameras. “These are my shoes in the air,” he said, sharing a photograph.AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said, “This is absolutely shocking. Modi-ji has left even Hitler behind.”

Source: Deccan Herald