New Delhi, Oct 2 – Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and workers were detained during a protest at the national capital’s Jantar Mantar on Friday. They were taken to the Fatehpur Beri Police Station in south Delhi, where they asserted that they were not afraid of the police while demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Atishi, a prominent AAP leader, spoke to IANS and said, “Indians got the right to vote when millions of freedom fighters sacrificed their lives to win independence for the country. Babasaheb Ambedkar contributed to the Constitution that guarantees the right to vote, while the BJP‑led Centre is attempting to undermine that right.” She added that the protestors were being taken to police stations, but they were not afraid of the police.
AAP spokesperson Anurag Dhanda, who was also detained, echoed a similar sentiment. He said, “We are demanding that democracy should not be destroyed. We are calling for the resignation of the CEC and for reforms in the Election Commission.” He described the situation as a challenge to democratic principles.
Other AAP leaders, including the party’s Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj and MLA Jarnail Singh, joined the protest march. Bharadwaj told IANS that “various political parties, social organisations, youth groups, student unions, and students from colleges and universities are protesting across the country to protect democracy.” He called for reforms in the Election Commission and the rollback of irregularities in the SIR.
Sanjeev Jha, an AAP MLA, accused the BJP and Gyanesh Kumar of “conspiring to end democracy” and called for accountability, stating, “A case of treason and betrayal against the country’s democracy should be filed against Gyanesh Kumar, and he should be immediately locked up in jail.”
