New Delhi: Activists of the All India Students’ Association (AISA), joined by civil society figures Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, shifted their protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to Dilli Haat on Saturday after Delhi Police blocked a planned gathering by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and its supporters at Jantar Mantar and detained demonstrators across the capital.
Protesters demand CEC's resignation
The protesters, led by AISA national president Neha Bora, sought to continue their agitation despite sweeping security restrictions.
They raised slogans demanding Kumar’s resignation and tried to lay siege to the prominent marketplace before police detained them.
AISA, the student wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, organised the alternative gathering after police detained top CJP leaders ahead of the planned protest at Jantar Mantar.
Civil society figures join demonstration
A large number of student activists and prominent civil society figures, including Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, participated in the protest.
The demonstrators raised slogans of “Stop vote chori” and “Scrap SIR” as they challenged the police restrictions. Bora declared, “Dilli Haat becomes our Jantar Mantar! Gyanesh Kumar must go!”
However, police moved swiftly and detained the protesters before they could lay siege to the area around Dilli Haat.
Neha Bora calls for continued protests
Bora later posted on X: “I am in detention. The movement is not. People are assembling at SAFDARJUNG FLYOVER right now. If you can, reach. If you are stopped, sit down where you are and hold the line.”
Bora, who has been a regular at CJP protests, wore a red T-shirt with One Piece emblazoned on it, reflecting the symbolism associated with youth-led protests across the globe.
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One Piece symbolism in youth protests
The anime series One Piece follows Monkey D Luffy, a young boy who sets sail in search of a legendary treasure known as One Piece and dreams of becoming the Pirate King. The series also portrays the pirate flag as a symbol of resistance, freedom, loyalty, pursuing dreams without prejudice and fighting oppression.
