NEW DELHI: Delhi Police has denied permission for a protest called by the Cockroach Janta Party and some student organisations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Jantar Mantar on October 10, a senior police officer said on Friday.
At a press conference, Joint Commissioner of Police, New Delhi range, Nupur Prasad, cited late submission of application and violations of rules during a previous protest by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) as reasons for denying the permission.
"We have received an application from Saurav Das, Co-Convener of Cockroach Janta Party. The application is regarding an intimation for a protest on October 10 at Jantar Mantar," she said.
The protest is regarding demanding accountability from the chief election commissioner (CEC). This intimation was considered and it was found that it was given at very short notice, she said.
According to the prescribed procedure, the intimation has to be given 10 days prior to a protest, the officer said.
Prasad said it is also important to mention that when the CJP was given permission to hold a protest on an earlier occasion, it did not follow the lawful directions or its own undertakings.
To prevent a law and order situation and to maintain public order, the permission has not been granted this time, she added.
Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) is in force in the New Delhi area. Under this section, reasonable preventive restrictions are in place to maintain public order and safety, Prasad said.
If anybody violates the provisions of Section 163 of the BNSS, then proper legal action will be taken against them, she said.
The controversy involving the CEC erupted after The Indian Express reported on September 25 that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected on record at least 14 times over the last 10 months to decisions and orders on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls that they said were issued without their knowledge or recommendation.
In July, a CJP-led agitation over the NEET paper leak had forced Dharmendra Pradhan to resign as Union education minister. The group is now seeking to sustain street pressure against Kumar.
Some student organisations, including the All India Students' Association, will also be joining the protest.
The protesters' demands include Kumar's resignation and initiation of criminal proceedings against him; freezing the SIR of electoral rolls, halting upcoming elections, restoring the January 2025 voters' list and ordering an independent inquiry; and repealing the 2023 law governing appointments to the Election Commission to establish an independent and credible selection process.
Police said more than 25,000 security personnel, including paramilitary forces, have already been deployed in various parts of Delhi.