Among the participats were All India Students’ Association (AISA) national president Neha Bora, Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Kapil Sibal, lawyer Prashant Bhushan and activist Yogendra Yadav
NEW DELHI — Muslim women joined student leaders, civil society activists and opposition figures at Jantar Mantar on October 3 as protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar intensified over allegations that the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls could disenfranchise large numbers of voters.
The demonstration, described by organisers as “Jantar Mantar Protest 2.0”, ended with the detention of protesters, allegations of police misconduct and fresh questions over the handling of women protesters and journalists..
Among those participating were All India Students’ Association (AISA) national president Neha Bora, Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Kapil Sibal, lawyer Prashant Bhushan and activist Yogendra Yadav.
Protesters attempted to march towards Jantar Mantar despite prohibitory orders imposed by the Delhi Police, which had denied permission for the gathering. Around 150 protesters were detained during the October 3 protest, according to reports.
For many Muslim women participating in the demonstration, the protest was about more than the demand for the CEC’s resignation. They expressed concerns that electoral-roll revisions could affect the voting rights of ordinary citizens, particularly marginalised communities that may face difficulties producing documents required during verification.
Organisers said the issue concerned democratic participation, voting rights and equal citizenship.
The protest followed large-scale demonstrations on October 2, when hundreds of activists, students and opposition leaders were detained after attempting to gather at Jantar Mantar. Reports said more than 1,000 people were taken into custody during the earlier mobilisation, which included AAP leaders Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj. Security measures included road restrictions, the closure of metro stations and heavy police deployment in central Delhi.
Muslim women among prominent participants
Muslim women were among the prominent participants as protesters attempted to move through multiple layers of barricades erected around the protest site. Women students, activists and community members were seen confronting police restrictions and demanding access to the designated protest venue.
Their participation recalled earlier citizen-led mobilisations in which Muslim women played a prominent role in protests concerning constitutional rights and democratic participation.
Videos circulating on social media showed women being escorted or carried towards police vehicles as security personnel cleared roads leading to Jantar Mantar.
Neha Bora among leading protesters
Neha Bora, a JNU PhD scholar and national president of AISA, emerged as one of the prominent faces of the agitation. Following her detention during earlier protests, she appealed to supporters to continue the mobilisation until Gyanesh Kumar stepped down.
On October 3, Bora marched alongside Kapil Sibal, Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav before police intervened. Footage from the protest showed police detaining Bora as demonstrators attempted to prevent police vehicles from leaving the area.
The following day, Bora was again detained while leading a march towards Jantar Mantar. According to reports, protesters surrounded the vehicle in which she was being taken away and attempted to stop it from moving. Police later said she was released after being taken to a police station.
Women allege police misconduct
The protest took a more serious turn after women protesters and journalists alleged misconduct by police personnel during the detentions.
Bora alleged that women protesters were subjected to rough handling. She claimed that policewomen elbowed demonstrators, dug their nails into women and pulled their bra straps while attempting to remove protesters from the site. She later displayed bruises and scratch marks that she said were sustained during the confrontation.
Another woman protester alleged that her pyjama was pulled down during a scuffle. The allegation has not been independently verified.
Three women journalists covering the protest separately filed complaints alleging sexual harassment and inappropriate physical contact by police personnel.
According to the complaints, one journalist alleged that a police officer pushed her breast while she questioned the absence of women officers during the detention of female protesters. Another alleged inappropriate physical contact while she was filming police action.
Police said the complaints would be investigated and that CCTV footage and other evidence were being examined. The force maintained that action against protesters was taken in accordance with the prohibitory orders in force in the area.
Protesters demand CEC’s resignation
The agitation centres on allegations surrounding the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision exercise.
Protesters have alleged that the revision process has led to the deletion of large numbers of names from electoral rolls and raised concerns over transparency in the process. They have demanded that the exercise be halted and that Gyanesh Kumar resign as Chief Election Commissioner.
The Election Commission has rejected allegations of wrongdoing and maintained that decisions concerning the exercise were taken collectively.
Slogans demanding Kumar’s resignation were raised at the protest site as demonstrators accused the Election Commission of failing to adequately address concerns over voter deletions.
The agitation has brought together students, civil society groups and opposition leaders, with organisers calling for further mobilisation in Delhi and other cities.
For Muslim women who joined the mobilisation alongside students and activists, the protest became a platform to voice concerns about voting rights, democratic participation and the treatment of women exercising their right to dissent. Their visible presence ensured that questions of citizenship, representation and state accountability remained at the centre of the Jantar Mantar agitation as it entered its next phase.
