Delhi Police detained Aam Aadmi Party’s Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj and several party workers and protesters at Jantar Mantar on October 2. ABP’s morning report and Moneycontrol’s separate account describe the detention after he reached the demonstration against the Election Commission. ABP also reproduces ANI’s same-day eyewitness dispatch reporting that police detained him.
The protest concerned the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and demands for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. Allegations about wrongful voter deletions are the organisers’ position, rather than findings established by the demonstration. Before his detention, Bharadwaj urged participants to remain peaceful and pursue their demands through constitutional means, according to the reports.
The Week’s October 2 account quotes DCP Sachin Sharma saying no permission had been granted for a protest or march at Jantar Mantar. Police said restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita were intended to protect public safety, public order and traffic movement. These are the authorities’ stated reasons for the restrictions.
The morning reports reviewed for this article did not establish a final detention count, the protesters’ release status or whether criminal charges followed. Detention alone does not establish that a criminal offence has been proved.