New Delhi, October 2, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Left student unions and several other organisations staged protests in New Delhi on Friday, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over the Election Commission’s actions related to the revision of electoral rolls. Several protesters were detained by police after permission for the demonstration was denied.
CPI-M General Secretary M.A. Baby told IANS that thousands of activists from the party-affiliated Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) had arrived in the national capital from different parts of the country to participate in the protest.
“I think this would be the biggest mobilisation in Delhi today. They are going to strongly register their demand that Gyanesh Kumar, who has been nakedly violating all existing rules of the functioning of the Election Commission, should be removed,” Baby said.
He said the INDIA bloc had decided to organise further demonstrations, including a rally on November 1, while MPs from the alliance and others would take out a march on October 6.
“As he (Gyanesh Kumar) is not resigning, we will continue to protest,” Baby added.
Rajya Sabha member A.A. Rahim said Delhi Police had denied permission for the protest at Jantar Mantar, forcing demonstrators to proceed without authorisation.
“We will not surrender to authoritarianism. We will not turn back and will continue our fight to safeguard the Indian Constitution, because that is our duty. Peaceful protests are our right; how can they prevent us?” Rahim said.
“We will fight for justice,” he added.
CPI-M leader Brinda Karat alleged that the Election Commission’s actions had undermined voting rights and called for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation or removal.
“On Gandhi Jayanti, we are pledging to defend the principles for which Gandhi ji fought, and one of those rights is the equal right to vote,” Karat said.
She also alleged that nearly 13 crore voters had been illegally deleted under Gyanesh Kumar’s leadership and demanded that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls be stopped.
Commenting on the denial of permission for the protest, Karat said, “We don’t require permission to defend democracy.”
She also criticised the detention of demonstrators, saying, “What is detention? Detention versus deletion.”
Delhi Police had imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, in the Jantar Mantar area. The orders prohibit public gatherings or assemblies of five or more people, processions, demonstrations, picketing and dharnas without prior written permission. They also restrict shouting slogans and making speeches without authorisation.
Left organisations and civil society groups had called for protests against the Election Commission over the ongoing SIR exercise and demanded action against the Chief Election Commissioner. Police detained protesters after denying permission for the demonstration.
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