Examiner Bureau | Srinagar:
Srinagar Lok Sabha MP Ruhullah Mehdi on Saturday criticised the heavy deployment of security personnel in Delhi to prevent protesters from gathering at Jantar Mantar, saying such restrictions did not reflect well on a democracy.
The demonstration was called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the handling of Form 6, used for voter registration.
In a post on his official X account, Mehdi said the deployment of security forces in the heart of the national capital to restrict citizens from reaching the protest venue raised concerns about democratic freedoms.
“Being from Kashmir, none of this is strange to me. We don’t cherish it. We warn: this is what happens in Kashmir. Don’t let it happen to India,” he wrote.
Mehdi’s remarks came amid heightened security arrangements and restrictions in parts of Delhi as authorities sought to prevent protesters from assembling at Jantar Mantar.
According to reports, several opposition leaders, including former chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, Pinarayi Vijayan and Manik Sarkar, were detained while attempting to join the demonstration. Student activists, lawyers and journalists were also reportedly taken into custody.
Reports further stated that Delhi Police detained more than 3,000 protesters attempting to reach Jantar Mantar for the proposed demonstration.
The detentions and restrictions sparked criticism from opposition leaders, who questioned the handling of the protest and raised concerns over the space available for peaceful political dissent. The demonstration centred on allegations concerning electoral-roll revision and demands for accountability from the Election Commission.
