1 hr ago
Delhi Police Detain Protesters Sheltering at Bangla Sahib Gurdwara
Protesters gathered in Delhi to call for the chief election official to resign and for a voter-list review to be stopped.
Some went to Bangla Sahib Gurdwara, where several stayed overnight.
They said nearby roads to the protest site were blocked.
On Saturday, police detained people who came out near the gurdwara.
Reports say officers dragged some protesters away.
More than 200 people had been detained across the city.
A gurdwara official said police would not be allowed inside the religious premises.
Police said their wider effort was to stop protesters from regrouping or avoiding detention.
Protesters demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and a rollback of the Special Intensive Revision took shelter at Bangla Sahib Gurdwara.
Some protesters stayed overnight after authorities announced citywide restrictions on October 9.
At about 1 p.m. on Saturday, police detained demonstrators gathered near the gurdwara entrance; reports say officers dragged some away.
More than 200 protesters had been detained, including activists and public figures, with some taken to makeshift detention centres.
A gurdwara official said the institution would not allow police to enter its premises, while police sought to prevent protesters from regrouping or evading detention.
- Who
- Protesters, including members of the Cockroach Janta Party and other Left organisations, and Delhi Police.
- What
- Police detained demonstrators demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and a rollback of the Special Intensive Revision.
- Where
- Near Bangla Sahib Gurdwara and Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
- When
- Saturday, after some protesters had sheltered overnight; officers detained demonstrators at about 1 p.m.
- Why
- Protesters said they were opposing alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision and demanded Kumar’s resignation; police sought to prevent protesters from regrouping or evading detention.
Protesters and Gurdwara Perspective
Police Perspective
Detentions and protest activity
Protesters and Gurdwara Perspective
Protesters were demonstrating against alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision and calling for the CEC’s resignation; a farmer described the situation as dictatorial.
Police Perspective
Police detained protesters as part of efforts to prevent them from regrouping or evading detention near Jantar Mantar.
Use of the gurdwara
Protesters and Gurdwara Perspective
A gurdwara official said protesters were unarmed and not raising slogans inside, and that police would not be allowed to enter the premises.
Police Perspective
Police personnel outside the gurdwara asked representatives not to let protesters remain inside and called on those sheltering there to come out.
Key facts
- Detentions
- More than 200 protesters had been detained so far, according to the report.
- Protest demands
- Resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and rollback of the Special Intensive Revision.
- Overnight shelter
- Protesters took shelter at Bangla Sahib Gurdwara after citywide restrictions were announced on October 9.
- Reported detention time
- Demonstrators near the gurdwara entrance were detained at about 1 p.m. on Saturday.
- Protest organisers
- The joint demonstration was called by the Cockroach Janta Party and other Left organisations.
- Gurdwara official
- An official told The Hindu that police would not be allowed to enter the premises and said protesters there were unarmed and not raising slogans inside.
Quotes
Unnamed 24-year-old protester
A protester who has participated in demonstrations since she was 20.
“We got the right to vote since Independence, but now they are taking it away. What sort of tanashahi (dictatorship) is this? We are witnessing it for the first time.”
theprint.in
“I, along with others, have been at the gurudwara since 9 in the morning. We tried going to Jantar Mantar, but it was all barricaded, so we came back here.”
theprint.in
Gurdwara official
An official of Bangla Sahib Gurdwara who spoke to The Hindu.
“We won't let police enter the premises. Protesters are unarmed and not raising slogans inside the premises, so we are not against them.”
thequint.com
Sources
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