SFI Workers Topple Barricades During Delhi Protest March
SFI workers clashed with police at Imtiaz Khan Marg during a protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation and alleged voter roll deletions.
Chaos erupted at Imtiaz Khan Marg in Delhi on Saturday as workers from the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) engaged in a heated confrontation with law enforcement. The protesters, marching against the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, ended up toppling police barricades in a bid to push through their demonstration.
Allegations of Massive Voter Deletion
The protest was fueled by intense allegations regarding the integrity of the electoral process in the national capital. Demonstrators raised serious concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, claiming that a staggering 3.3 million votes have been deleted from the Delhi records.
A protester at the scene lashed out at the authorities, questioning the accountability behind these deletions and accusing the Election Commissioner of corruption. "We have simply raised a demand that the SIR should be revoked. Within Delhi, 3.3 million votes have been deleted. Who will answer for this?" she demanded, while also questioning the democratic right of citizens to gather peacefully.
Heavy Police Deployment and Section 163
To prevent the march from escalating or reaching certain areas, the Delhi Police implemented a massive security blanket. Law enforcement agencies utilized heavy barricades, spike strips, and intensive vehicle checkpoints at several entry points to the city.
Joint Commissioner Rajeev Narain Mishra confirmed that deployments were made in accordance with Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). Speaking from the Chilla checkpoint on the Noida-Delhi border, Mishra noted that the police were maintaining a vigilant watch, which included monitoring social media to track the movement of demonstrators.
Detentions at Dhaula Kuan
The crackdown was particularly visible at Dhaula Kuan, where security forces detained several individuals, including content creators, to prevent them from joining the planned protests. The area saw a significant presence of female police personnel conducting thorough vehicle inspections to ensure no unauthorized groups bypassed the cordons.
Protesters expressed frustration over the scale of the police presence, arguing that the restrictions were an attempt to deny citizens their fundamental rights. They highlighted the irony of large-scale force being used to detain a small number of people while preventing residents from accessing their own city.