Archive · 26 Sep 2026
Student Leaders Detained In Protest Demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s Arrest
A student group called AISA held a protest in Delhi.
The protesters wanted Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign and be arrested.
They were angry about a report describing disagreements inside the Election Commission.
Two election commissioners reportedly objected 14 times to decisions about updating voter lists.
The issues included registering new voters and handling voter information.
Police said the protest did not have permission and detained several people.
AISA said the detentions unfairly stopped a peaceful protest.
The Election Commission said disagreements are a normal part of making official decisions and that the report did not show the whole picture.
AISA held a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and arrest.
Delhi Police, which had denied permission for the demonstration, detained several student leaders and activists.
The protest followed a report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected 14 times to decisions linked to electoral-roll revision.
The reported objections involved new-voter registration, Form 6 changes, West Bengal appeals and access to voter data in Goa.
The Election Commission said differing views during draft-stage deliberations are normal and that selected internal notes show only part of the process.
- Who
- The All India Students’ Association, student leaders, activists and Delhi Police; the protest targeted Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
- What
- Several protesters were detained during a demonstration demanding Kumar’s resignation and arrest over alleged election-related irregularities.
- When
- Friday; the protest followed a report published on Wednesday about objections raised during the electoral-roll revision.
- Where
- Jantar Mantar in Delhi; Congress leaders separately protested outside the Election Commission’s office.
- Why
- Protesters cited reported internal objections concerning the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and alleged problems in the Election Commission’s functioning.
Protesters and Opposition
Election Commission and Authorities
Meaning of internal objections
Protesters and Opposition
Protesters said the reported objections indicated serious irregularities, undermined public trust and required Kumar to be held accountable.
Election Commission and Authorities
The Election Commission said differing views and operational queries are normal parts of institutional deliberation before final decisions.
Detentions and protest rights
Protesters and Opposition
AISA called the detentions suppression of peaceful protest and said they could not silence questions about democracy and electoral rights.
Election Commission and Authorities
Delhi Police denied permission for the demonstration and told protesters to disperse; several participants were detained.
Scope of the report
Protesters and Opposition
Protesters focused on 14 objections involving voter registration, electoral-roll appeals and voter-data access.
Election Commission and Authorities
The Election Commission said focusing on selected internal notes while overlooking its wider approvals, decisions and instructions presented only one part of the picture.
- Protest organiser
- All India Students’ Association (AISA)
- Protest location
- Jantar Mantar, Delhi
- Main demand
- The resignation and arrest of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar
- People detained
- AISA chief Neha Bora, Dipankar Bhattacharya, Yogendra Yadav, Anjali Bharadwaj and others
- Reported objections
- Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected 14 times over 10 months
- Issues cited
- New-voter registration, Form 6 changes, West Bengal appeals and voter-data access in Goa
- Election Commission response
- Operational queries and differing views during draft stages are standard administrative deliberations
