Delhi Student Groups Plan October 2 Protest Against CEC Gyanesh Kumar Over SIR Row

Student groups and civil society activists have announced a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Friday, October 2, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Election Commission’s functioning and its handling of electoral rolls.

The proposed demonstration has been called by the All India Students’ Association (AISA), Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI). Delhi Police has not granted permission for the protest, but organisers have indicated that they plan to proceed with the mobilisation. Police have stepped up security and installed barricades on routes leading to Jantar Mantar.

The planned protest comes amid a wider campaign by opposition groups, student organisations and activists over the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Delhi Police Denies Permission, Security Tightened

Delhi Police has said that no organisation has been granted permission to hold the proposed protest at Jantar Mantar on October 2. Officials said security arrangements had been strengthened amid expectations of a large gathering.

Barricades have also been placed across parts of Lutyens’ Delhi to restrict access to the Jantar Mantar area.

CJP Announces ‘Jail Bharo Andolan’ In Mumbai

A separate protest has also been announced in Mumbai by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke.

Dipke has called for a “Jail Bharo Andolan” at Shivaji Park on October 2, demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar. The announcement came after Mumbai Police denied permission for the group’s proposed demonstration.

Mumbai Police has said it was not empowered to grant permission for a gathering at Shivaji Park in view of a 2013 Bombay High Court order and subsequent government directions. The area has also been designated a silence zone.

AAP Leaders Appeal To Public

AAP MLA and former Delhi chief minister Atishi has appealed to people to gather at Jantar Mantar on October 2.

In a post on X, Atishi wrote: “Let’s go to Jantar Mantar 2 October 2026 10 AM.”

In a video message, she linked the protest to concerns over voting rights and the ongoing controversy surrounding electoral rolls.

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh has also urged people to participate, alleging that 1.37 crore names had been removed from electoral rolls during the SIR exercise. His figure is a political allegation and has not been independently established here.

What Triggered The Election Commission Row?

The protests come amid scrutiny of the Election Commission’s handling of the SIR exercise.

An Indian Express investigation reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally raised objections at least 14 times over a 10-month period regarding decisions and orders concerning electoral-roll matters. The report said some objections related to decisions the commissioners said had been taken without their knowledge.

The Election Commission, however, has maintained that the three-member panel took its decisions unanimously, including those related to the SIR.

The controversy has intensified as the SIR exercise has affected voter rolls across multiple states and Union territories, placing the Election Commission’s procedures and decision-making under increased public and political scrutiny.