News Desk: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday dismissed the protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi, describing the demonstrations as an unsuccessful attempt by what it called “anarchist forces” to create disorder in the national capital.
BJP national spokesperson and MP Sambit Patra said the scenes unfolding at Jantar Mantar did not represent the broader picture of India, arguing that the country was progressing under good governance.
“Jantar Mantar’s story is not India’s story. What is happening at Jantar Mantar, what you can see on TV and a few social media handles, is not India’s story,” Patra told reporters.
He claimed that certain groups had been attempting to spread unrest in a limited area of Delhi over the past several days and asserted that their efforts had failed.
Patra also said that “loktantra” (democracy) had prevailed over “bheedtantra” (mob rule). He alleged that there had been an attempt to disrupt public order and create the possibility of arson and violence in the national capital.
Protests Over CEC Gyanesh Kumar
The BJP's remarks came amid demonstrations organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and opposition parties, including the INDIA bloc, demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of electoral irregularities and concerns surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Over the previous three days, INDIA bloc MPs had attempted to hold protests at different locations in Delhi. On Saturday, a delegation also met President Droupadi Murmu and submitted a memorandum outlining four demands.
Meanwhile, the planned CJP demonstration at Jantar Mantar could not proceed as intended after police detained several key organisers and other participants.
Police Step Up Security Across Delhi
Delhi Police detained multiple protesters who gathered near Jantar Mantar, citing the absence of permission for the demonstration. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were among those detained. AISA president Neha Bora and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee were also detained at different locations across the Delhi-NCR region.
Security was tightened at major entry points to the capital, with barricades, vehicle inspections and additional personnel deployed to prevent disruptions.
At Dhaula Kuan, police erected heavy barricades and placed spike strips as part of preventive checks. Female police personnel were also deployed to inspect vehicles.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Kumar Abhishek said the arrangements were intended to maintain public order and that checks had been underway since the previous night.
The police operation continued throughout Saturday as authorities sought to prevent unauthorised gatherings.
The developments highlighted the growing political confrontation over the Election Commission, electoral roll revision and the right to protest. While opposition parties and activists raised concerns about democratic accountability, the BJP maintained that the demonstrations did not reflect the mood or priorities of the country as a whole.
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