Anti-SIR protests rock Delhi for the fifth day, hundreds detained

Protesters climbed over barricades, slogans pierced through the din of police announcements, and detention buses filled up as hundreds of people took to the streets of central Delhi on Wednesday (October 14, 2026), the fifth consecutive day of demonstrations against the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Follow the updates of the Anti-CEC protests on October 14, 2026.

The day began with protests against the judicial custody of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who were sent to jail for entering the now-denotified Jantar Mantar protest site on Tuesday.

On Firoz Shah Road, members of the Students’ Federation of India and the Democratic Youth Federation of India began a march before a large contingent of police personnel and security forces moved in to control the crowd.

“Vote chor, gaddi chor [vote thief, vacate your seat],” the protesters shouted. The placards carried messages, including “We are Indians, not terrorists” and “Protest, not silence, is the lifeblood of democracy”. The protesters targeted Mr. Kumar and opposed the removal of Jantar Mantar’s designated protest-site status.

The situation escalated within minutes. Police personnel began detaining protesters who sat on the road, with several being pushed and bundled into detention vehicles by personnel from the Delhi Police, the Rapid Action Force, and the Central Reserve Police Force. The number of people detained is yet to be made available.

“We were detained; we were beaten up earlier also. By beating us, they cannot shut us up. Our protests will go on. Until Gyanesh Kumar resigns, we will remain on the roads. We will not back down,” a protester said.

Around 800 metres away, Indian Youth Congress workers began a separate march from Patel Chowk Metro Station towards Jantar Mantar. Carrying party flags and placards, they demanded Mr. Kumar’s resignation and raised slogans against the Union government.

“Modi ji, go back to the tea shop,” read one of the placards.

The marchers initially sat outside Patel Chowk Metro Station amid a heavy security presence before proceeding along Ashoka Road. Police continued to warn against unauthorised processions, protests, and gatherings, citing Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.

The march was stopped near the Parliament Street police station, where protesters were detained and pushed into buses. A few climbed on top of the vehicles and continued raising slogans as the police moved to clear the area.

At both locations, extensive barricading and the deployment of security personnel turned the demonstrations into tense standoffs, with protesters resisting attempts to disperse them and police detaining those who remained on the roads.

The continuing demonstrations disrupted traffic in parts of the New Delhi district on Wednesday (October 14). Road closures, barricades, and restrictions imposed to facilitate security arrangements and control the marches led to congestion during the afternoon, leaving commuters navigating diversions and slow-moving traffic.

The demonstrations came amid a widening cycle of protests and detentions in the national capital since October 10, when the CJP called for a demonstration against SIR and Mr. Kumar. On Tuesday (October 13), members of several youth and student organisations, including the Disha Students’ Organisation, the National Students’ Union of India, the All India Students’ Federation, the Bhim Army, and the Krantikari Yuva Sangathan, held marches and flash protests at different locations in the city.

Amid allegations of assault and manhandling by journalists, police also issued instructions to journalists covering the protests, asking media representatives to maintain a “safe distance” from both protesters and police personnel and not to enter the crowd.