AAP leaders Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj, RJD MP Manoj Jha and student activists among those detained; demonstrators protest alleged irregularities in SIRNew Delhi, More than 700 protesters were detained by Delhi Police on Friday during a demonstration near Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and an end to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Police had denied permission for the gathering and imposed prohibitory restrictions in the area, deploying additional security personnel to prevent a large assembly. <Cite refs={["turn884030search0","turn884030search8","turn884030search9"]}/>Opposition Leaders and Activists DetainedThose detained included former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha and All India Students’ Association (AISA) president Neha Bora, according to media reports. Protesters were taken to different police stations as the authorities moved to disperse the gathering. <Cite refs={["turn884030search2","turn884030news21","turn884030search5"]}/>The protest took place amid tight security around Jantar Mantar. Police had refused permission for the demonstration ahead of the event, citing restrictions on gatherings and security concerns. Reports also indicated restrictions on access to nearby areas and metro stations during the security operation. <Cite refs={["turn884030search7","turn884030search8","turn884030news25"]}/>SIR Process Under ScrutinyProtesters and opposition groups alleged that the SIR exercise had resulted in the removal of eligible voters’ names from electoral rolls and raised concerns about transparency in the election process. They demanded CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and called for action over the alleged irregularities.The allegations remain contested. The Election Commission has maintained that the revision exercise is intended to identify duplicate and ineligible entries in electoral rolls. <Cite refs={["turn884030news27","turn884030news24"]}/>The Delhi demonstration was part of a wider series of protests planned in different cities on October 2, including a gathering at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park, over the functioning of the Election Commission and the SIR exercise. <Cite refs={["turn884030news30","turn884030news24"]}/>
