GANDHI JAYANTI MARRED BY MASS DETENTIONS AS DELHI PROTESTS SPARK ‘GODSE IDEOLOGY’ CHARGES
October 3, 2026
Hundreds of opposition leaders, activists and students detained as police block demonstrations demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral irregularities.
New Delhi witnessed a major police crackdown on October 2, coinciding with the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, as hundreds of opposition leaders, student activists and civil society members were detained during protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The demonstrations, organised at Jantar Mantar, sought Kumar's resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with opposition parties claiming that millions of eligible voters had been removed from electoral lists. The Election Commission has maintained that its actions are lawful.
Delhi Police imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, denied permission for the proposed gathering and deployed additional security personnel across central Delhi. Several metro stations were temporarily closed, while barricades were erected around Jantar Mantar and adjoining roads to prevent protesters from assembling.
Among those detained were Aam Aadmi Party leaders Atishi, Sanjay Singh and Saurabh Bharadwaj, Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Jha, CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat, activist Yogendra Yadav and several student organisation representatives. Many protesters were taken to different police stations, with several subsequently released.
The police action provoked strong criticism from opposition leaders, who questioned the restrictions on peaceful demonstrations on the anniversary of Gandhi, whose political philosophy emphasised non-violent resistance. Manoj Jha and Brinda Karat drew parallels between the government's actions and the ideology of Nathuram Godse, Gandhi's assassin, accusing the authorities of suppressing democratic dissent. These remarks reflected the protesters' political criticism of the government.
The agitation also brought renewed attention to the SIR exercise and the appointment process for election commissioners. Opposition parties have questioned the independence of the Election Commission and demanded changes to the legislation governing the appointment of its leadership. The government, meanwhile, has defended the existing legal framework.
The Election Commission has directed several states and Union Territories to conduct special enrolment drives to include eligible voters who may have been left out of electoral rolls following the revision process. Opposition parties have cited the directive as a reason for their concerns, although the implications of the exercise remain contested.
The confrontation in Delhi has intensified the political dispute over electoral transparency, institutional independence and the right to peaceful protest, turning Gandhi Jayanti into a day of competing demonstrations and sharply opposing political narratives.
