CEC protest updates: CJP leaders, AISA’s Neha Bora, Scroll journalists among thousands detained

The Delhi Police on Saturday detained leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party political campaign and hundreds of protesters ahead of a protest by youth groups to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Scroll’s Ayush Tiwari and Shoaib Daniyal were among those detained while covering the protest. Tiwari was not at the Jantar Mantar protest site and had prominently displayed his press card. He told the police several times that he is a journalist, but he was put in a van and taken away.

Daniyal was detained in CR Park while waiting for a taxi.

The protest has been organised by the Cockroach Janta Party and student groups affiliated to the Left parties. It is being supported by farmers’ organisations and the Aam Aadmi Party. The demonstrations were to begin at 10 am, the organisers had said.

The police have denied permission for the protest. Ahead of the demonstration, the police imposed several restrictions to deter protesters from gathering in the national capital, in what the organisers described as intimidation by the authorities. The measures included detaining persons, cancelling trains, closing 45 metro stations and suspending mobile internet in central Delhi.

The protest comes after several days of the Opposition INDIA bloc holding its own demonstrations in the national capital.

The demonstrations are being held in several...

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