Delhi and Mumbai Police Detain Hundreds Protesting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar Over Electoral Roll Controversy on Gandhi Jayanti

On October 2, 2026, police in New Delhi detained hundreds of demonstrators at Jantar Mantar who were demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, according to Al Jazeera, Siasat, and Latestly. Delhi police invoked Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita prohibiting gatherings in the New Delhi district and shut down Metro stations near the protest site. Police detained leaders from the Aam Aadmi Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), All India Students' Association, and Student Federation of India, including AAP leader Atishi. Around 700 people from the Student Federation of India were stopped at Ashoka Road roundabout, with many detained, a police source told PTI. In Mumbai, protests were planned for Shivaji Park with heavy police presence. The protests center on the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, which critics allege has struck off more than 130 million names since late 2025, disproportionately targeting economically weaker sections, minorities, and vulnerable groups. Opposition parties moved impeachment notices against Kumar in both houses of Parliament in April 2026, which were rejected by the Rajya Sabha chairman and Lok Sabha speaker, according to All India Radio.

The crackdown affects opposition parties and civil society groups seeking to challenge Kumar's tenure and the electoral roll revision. The detentions prevent organized protest on Gandhi Jayanti, a day traditionally associated with nonviolent dissent. Whether the government will permit the nationwide protest planned for October 10 by Citizens for Justice and Peace remains uncertain.

Sources

Al Jazeera, October 2, 2026, aljazeera.com | Al Jazeera (feature), October 2, 2026, aljazeera.com | Siasat, October 2, 2026, siasat.com | Latestly, October 2, 2026, latestly.com | All India Radio (AIR archive), April 6, 2026, newsonair.gov.in