Brief
Protestors clash with police in Delhi and Mumbai over CEC Gyanesh Kumar
Delhi protests turned violent while Mumbai remained largely peaceful, as demonstrators demanded the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over electoral roll deletions.
By Felo News Desk · Published
On Gandhi Jayanti, demonstrators in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and Mumbai’s Shivaji Park gathered to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, whom they blame for a controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls that began in June 2025.
What happened
In Delhi, police blocked all roads leading to Jantar Mantar, dispersed crowds across the area and repeatedly detained protesters, sending them to buses. By the end of the day, at least 700 protesters had been arrested, according to The Hindu. In Mumbai, the atmosphere was described by Instagram commentator Oamkaar as "a concert," with no major police barricades reported.
What the reports add
Scroll.in notes that Delhi police learned from earlier student protests in July and imposed a ban on gatherings of five or more people, shutting metro services to twelve stations and cutting internet access. The article also mentions that protest leaders Neha Bora and Yogendra Yadav were detained while attempting to reach the Jantar Mantar site. In contrast, the Mumbai protest proceeded without such restrictions, allowing a larger, more unified crowd.
What was said
Neha Bora, national president of the All India Students' Association, was photographed being detained while demanding Kumar’s resignation. Nirdosh Rawat, a 23‑year‑old Delhi University student, blamed the low turnout on the absence of opposition parties, saying, "These parties will have to hit the ground, the public will follow." Both statements are reported by Scroll.in.
How it came about
The protests stem from the SIR exercise, which has allegedly deleted millions of citizens from electoral rolls since its launch in June 2025. Earlier this month, Felo News reported that nearly 1,000 protesters were detained at Jantar Mantar, highlighting the scale of the crackdown. The controversy has also prompted political parties in Nagaland to call for Kumar’s resignation, as documented in a separate Felo article.
Key facts
- At least 700 protesters were detained in Delhi on Gandhi Jayanti (scroll.in)
- Protest leaders Neha Bora and Yogendra Yadav were arrested in Delhi (scroll.in)
- Mumbai protest described as a "concert" with no major police restrictions (scroll.in)
Sources
- [1] scroll.in — originally reported as “‘Delhi was a warzone, Mumbai a concert’: Protests against CEC Gyanesh Kumar strike contrasting notes”
