INJURED PROTESTERS MEET RAHUL GANDHI AS JANTAR MANTAR BECOMES INDIA’S NEW FLASHPOINT OVER ELECTORAL RIGHTS AND POLICE ACTION
October 14, 2026
Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi met injured National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) protesters in New Delhi on Wednesday, October 14, and accused the authorities of using excessive force against young demonstrators campaigning against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. His intervention came amid mounting political outrage over the five-day judicial custody of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who were detained after attempting to enter Jantar Mantar, recently removed from the list of designated protest venues.
The latest developments have widened the confrontation from a dispute over electoral-roll revision into a larger political and legal battle involving allegations of police misconduct, the rights of demonstrators and the future of public protest in the national capital. Opposition parties have condemned the detentions, while the Delhi government has accused the CJP of acting as a political proxy for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
RAHUL GANDHI MEETS INJURED STUDENTS, HIGHLIGHTS ALLEGATIONS OF POLICE ASSAULT
During a press conference, Gandhi introduced a woman protester as “our sherni”, praising her for continuing to speak out despite allegedly being assaulted during the demonstrations. The woman claimed that a woman constable, identified by her as Chanchal Yadav, grabbed her by the neck, pushed her onto a seat inside a police bus, scratched her face and slapped her when she resisted.
According to the protester, NSUI members had been demonstrating peacefully before police detained them in three buses. She said approximately 30 to 40 people were placed in each vehicle, including two women and several male colleagues in the bus in which she was held. She alleged that the confrontation began when some detainees attempted to leave the vehicle and continue their demonstration.
The woman further claimed that the constable scratched her face and the area near her ear with her fingernails before slapping her. These allegations have not been independently established, and the account presented at Gandhi’s press conference represents the protester’s version of events.
Gandhi described the woman’s response as an example of courage and restraint, arguing that she had refused to be intimidated by the alleged assault. He said she had been beaten but had not responded with hatred, presenting her account as emblematic of the determination of young people participating in the movement.
The Congress leader also met other injured NSUI protesters. One account reported through the live updates stated that a student had lost hearing in one ear following the alleged police action. Gandhi accused the authorities of brutality and called attention to the physical consequences reportedly suffered by the demonstrators.
The allegations have increased pressure on the authorities to clarify what occurred during the detentions and whether force was used lawfully. The police account and the protesters’ claims will need to be assessed independently before responsibility for specific injuries can be determined.
CJP LEADERS REMANDED TO FIVE DAYS OF JUDICIAL CUSTODY
The meeting came as CJP leaders Das and Ranka remained in judicial custody after an executive magistrate ordered them to be lodged in Tihar Jail for five days. Their associate Ajinkya Shinde was also detained during the same incident, although his bail-bond formalities were reported to be in progress.
Delhi Police accused the activists of trespassing at Jantar Mantar, violating the conditions of their peace bonds and obstructing public servants from performing their duties. The case followed their attempt on Tuesday to enter the location after police withdrew its status as an officially designated protest site.
The CJP maintains that its leaders had gone to Jantar Mantar to display the national flag and raise patriotic slogans while protesting against the removal of the venue’s designation. The party has portrayed the arrests as an attempt to suppress dissent, arguing that the authorities have used legal restrictions to prevent a peaceful demonstration.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke described the custody order as an example of what he called an “unofficial Emergency”. He challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, alleging that the government was misusing state power against young people seeking accountability from the Election Commission.
Dipke also rejected speculation that the CJP intended to register as a political party. He reiterated that it would remain an independent pressure group while pursuing what he described as a common cause with the INDIA bloc against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The party’s legal affairs head, Ratna Singh, accused Delhi Police of falsely claiming that the CJP had issued a public call urging additional protesters to assemble at Jantar Mantar. She maintained that no such appeal had been made and questioned the justification for the arrests.
Advocate Abhisht Hela, representing the CJP leaders, similarly challenged the custody decision, arguing that the police had relied on an assumption that the activists might commit an offence rather than establishing a violation of their peace bonds. These arguments remain the defence’s position, while the allegations against the leaders are subject to legal proceedings.
MAMATA BANERJEE, KEJRIWAL AND LEFT LEADERS CONDEMN THE ARRESTS
The detention of the CJP leaders has triggered criticism beyond the organisation itself. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condemned the arrests, adding to the opposition’s criticism of the measures taken against demonstrators who have challenged the removal of Jantar Mantar’s protest-site designation.
AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal also questioned the legal basis of the action, asking whether waving the national flag in one’s own country had become a crime. His criticism placed the Tricolour at the centre of the debate over the police response, with the CJP insisting that its members had been detained after displaying the national flag.
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya likewise condemned the custody order. He accused the government of fearing public demonstrations and called for Jantar Mantar to be reclaimed as a recognised space for peaceful protest.
The CPI(M) has also vowed to resist the withdrawal of the venue’s designation, arguing that the decision undermines citizens’ ability to assemble publicly and express dissent. Its position reflects a wider concern among opposition groups that relocating demonstrations could make political mobilisation less visible and more difficult.
However, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta rejected the CJP’s criticism and accused the organisation of acting as the “B-Team” of the Aam Aadmi Party. She challenged the group to protest in Punjab over the killing of an anti-drug activist and alleged that its actions were directed towards disrupting Delhi rather than responding consistently to public issues across states.
Gupta also defended the decision to remove Jantar Mantar from the designated list, arguing that the organisation was causing unnecessary difficulties for the city’s residents. Her remarks underline the political divide over whether the CJP’s campaign represents a legitimate protest movement or an attempt to disrupt public order.
SUPREME COURT AND DELHI HIGH COURT SET TO EXAMINE PROTEST AND SIR DISPUTES
The confrontation is also moving through the judiciary. The Delhi High Court has scheduled a hearing for October 16 on a public-interest petition seeking permission for peaceful demonstrations at Jantar Mantar and recognition of the right to protest as part of freedom of speech and expression.
A bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma asked the petitioner to place on record a copy of a similar petition pending before the Supreme Court. The judges said they wanted to avoid issuing potentially contradictory orders while related proceedings were under consideration.
The High Court’s hearing follows Delhi Police’s decision to remove Jantar Mantar from the list of designated demonstration venues and identify Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in East Delhi as alternatives. The police have maintained that the change was made in line with the Supreme Court’s directions on providing suitable places for public gatherings.
Separately, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear a plea by AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi challenging the SIR exercise alongside other related petitions on Thursday, October 15. Another petition seeks directions requiring the Election Commission to publish the list of electors issued notices during the revision process, together with the specific reasons for each notice.
The latter case is scheduled for October 28. The petitioners have also sought a mechanism for people whose names were omitted from electoral rolls following the SIR to seek inclusion without having to declare that they are applying for registration for the first time. The deadline for filing claims and objections under the Delhi SIR has been extended to October 30, after which the final electoral roll is due to be published.
These proceedings address separate but related concerns: the legality and transparency of electoral-roll revision, the safeguards available to voters whose names are questioned or omitted, and the practical ability of citizens to exercise their right to protest.
THE POLITICAL CONFRONTATION WIDENS
The CJP’s campaign has continued despite the removal of Jantar Mantar’s official status and the detention of its leaders. Dipke travelled from Nagpur to Delhi on Wednesday, signalling that the organisation intends to maintain its presence in the capital and continue demanding Kumar’s resignation.
The group’s allegations centre on the Election Commission’s SIR exercise, which opposition parties say raises serious concerns about voter deletions and electoral transparency. The Election Commission and the BJP have rejected claims of deliberate electoral manipulation, while the government has defended the restrictions imposed on unauthorised demonstrations on public-order grounds.
The latest developments have brought the treatment of protesters into sharper focus. Gandhi’s meeting with injured NSUI members, the allegations of assault inside police buses, the CJP leaders’ judicial custody and the planned court hearings have made the dispute about more than the location of demonstrations.
The immediate questions concern the circumstances of the arrests, the treatment of those detained and the legal basis for restricting access to Jantar Mantar. The broader political dispute concerns the transparency of electoral administration and the safeguards available to eligible voters under the SIR process.
With the Supreme Court due to hear related petitions, the Delhi High Court scheduled to consider the right to peaceful assembly and opposition leaders continuing their criticism, the confrontation is entering a decisive legal phase. The outcome will depend on the evidence placed before the courts, the authorities’ explanations and the judicial assessment of the restrictions imposed.
For now, the CJP has vowed to continue its campaign, opposition parties have condemned the detentions, and the authorities have defended their actions as necessary for maintaining public order. The allegations of police assault remain to be examined, while the wider dispute over electoral transparency and the future of Jantar Mantar as a protest venue continues to shape the political debate in New Delhi.
