Delhi Police allegedly attempted to detain Maktoob Media journalist Fida Fathima while she was covering the protest at Jantar Mantar on Friday, October 2.
According to Maktoob Media, police forcibly removed Fathima from the protest site and dragged her towards a police bus. She resisted the police action and was not detained.
The incident took place as Delhi Police detained hundreds of protesters who had gathered or attempted to reach Jantar Mantar to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
AAP Leaders, Student Activists Detained
AAP leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj, Atishi and Sanjay Singh, along with party workers and student activists, were among those detained during the police action.
A police source told PTI that around 700 members of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) attempted to reach Jantar Mantar and were stopped near the Ashoka Road roundabout. Several of them were detained.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader M A Baby and several Members of Parliament from Kerala were also reportedly detained. Activists from the All India Students’ Association (AISA), SFI, NSUI and other student organisations were also taken into custody.
The protest was organised amid criticism from activists and opposition leaders over the Election Commission’s handling of electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
Police Had Denied Permission for Protest
Delhi Police had not granted permission for the October 2 demonstration at Jantar Mantar. Barricades were placed on roads leading to the protest site, while Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) was imposed in the New Delhi district.
The restrictions prohibit unauthorised gatherings and demonstrations.
The proposed protest was called by AISA, SFI and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), with organisers seeking the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over the functioning of the Election Commission and its handling of electoral rolls.
Parallel Protest Announced in Mumbai
Meanwhile, Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement, announced a parallel “Jail Bharo Andolan” at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on October 2.
Dipke had earlier said Mumbai Police denied permission for the protest against Gyanesh Kumar. Police later said they were “not empowered to grant permission” for a gathering at Shivaji Park because of a 2013 Bombay High Court order and described the area as a “silence zone.”
AAP leader Atishi had appealed to people to join the Jantar Mantar protest. In a video message, she alleged that the right to vote was under threat and called on people to participate in the demonstration.
AAP MP Sanjay Singh also appealed for participation and alleged that 1.37 crore names had been deleted from electoral rolls during the SIR process. The claim has been made by Singh and was not independently established in the material provided.
The detention of journalist Fida Fathima occurred while she was reporting from the protest site. Maktoob Media said she resisted the police action and was not detained.
