NEW DELHI – Delhi Police have registered multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) over alleged violations during the Rahul Gandhi-led Opposition march towards the Supreme Court on Monday, including attempts to break police barricades and graffiti on roads in central Delhi.
Police sources said four cases were registered following the October 12 demonstration by the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc against the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
According to the sources, two FIRs were registered at Tilak Marg police station, while Mandir Marg and Barakhamba police stations registered one each.
The cases reportedly concern alleged violations of orders issued under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which empowers authorities to impose restrictions in situations involving potential threats to public order.
The police action followed a massive Opposition demonstration that began near the Constitution Club and proceeded through central Delhi towards the Supreme Court.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and several senior leaders from INDIA bloc parties participated in the march.
The protesters accused the Election Commission of irregularities in the electoral-roll revision process and demanded greater accountability from the poll body.
Police had deployed barricades and additional personnel along the protest route to restrict access to sensitive areas near the Supreme Court. The march was stopped before the protesters could reach the court.
Fresh detentions at Jantar Mantar
In a separate development on Tuesday, Delhi Police detained Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) representatives Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das after they reached Jantar Mantar despite restrictions on demonstrations at the site.
Other party members, including Ajinkya Shinde, were also reportedly detained.
The detentions followed an earlier police operation against the group over its proposed protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Ranka and Das were among the activists detained on October 10 and subsequently released.
Meanwhile, police sources said security arrangements at three newly designated protest locations had been reviewed following inputs received by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Security deployment and restrictions are being assessed amid continuing demonstrations over the electoral-roll revision exercise.
Rahul Gandhi calls Opposition leaders for meeting
Gandhi has invited Opposition leaders, civil society representatives and student organisations to his residence for a meeting at 4 pm on Tuesday.
The meeting comes a day after Opposition parties joined the march against the SIR exercise.
Following Monday’s demonstration, Gandhi thanked the participating leaders and said the Opposition would continue its campaign.
“We needed to show the government that the people of India are not going to be intimidated. You cannot beat us, threaten us, frighten us. We will not accept being bullied,” he said.
The Congress claimed that 2.5 lakh people participated in the march.
The latest police action adds to the legal consequences of the continuing demonstrations over the Election Commission’s electoral-roll revision exercise.
ANN/The Statesman