Election Commission row: AISA protesters march in Delhi over alleged voter deletions

All India Students` Association (AISA) national president Neha Bora and social activist Anjali Bhardwaj lead student activists marching from Andhra Bhawan Circle towards Jantar Mantar during a protest demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar on 4th October. PIC/PTI

AISA activists protested for the third consecutive day on Sunday demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and proceeded towards Jantar Mantar even as the area was fortified with heavy police barricading and security deployment.

The mobilisation began from Andhra Bhawan Circle on Ashoka Road, with protesters marching towards Jantar Mantar and raising slogans while attempting to reach the designated protest site amid a heavy police presence.

The protesters and security personnel clashed briefly as police tried to prevent them from crossing the barricades. Purported visuals from the site circulated on social media showed All India Students' Association (AISA) national president Neha Bora attempting to climb over a barricade while police officials tried to stop her.

The protest is part of the larger agitation happening across cities over the alleged irregularities in the Election Commission's functioning, conduct of the SIR exercise and mass deletion of voters.

The fresh mobilisation in Delhi came a day after more than 150 protesters were detained here on Saturday. More than 500 protesters, including student activists and political leaders, were detained during demonstrations in central Delhi on Friday as well. Bora, AAP leaders and activist Yogendra Yadav were among those detained on Friday.

Police had denied permission for Friday's gathering and deployed additional personnel in central Delhi. Several roads leading towards Jantar Mantar were barricaded and access to some metro stations in the vicinity was temporarily restricted during the earlier protests.

The latest mobilisation is taking place amid heightened security in the area, with police personnel positioned at multiple points and barricades put up to regulate the movement of protesters.

It follows The Indian Express investigation, claiming that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected on record at least 14 times over the last 10 months to decisions and orders on the SIR that they said were issued without their knowledge or recommendation.

Under fire over the red flags raised by two of its commissioners over the SIR process, the EC has asserted that differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberations in any institution and that all its orders carry full legal sanction and follow established statutory procedures.

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