Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal were released several hours after being detained by Delhi Police during protests demanding the resignation of India’s Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar.
They were detained on Saturday, October 10, and later released, Indian newspaper The New Indian Express reported.
According to the report, protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar in Delhi to demand Kumar’s resignation over allegations of irregularities in the Election Commission’s voter list revision process. Opposition leaders were detained while heading to the demonstration, organised at the call of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
Banerjee was detained while staging a sit-in with Trinamool Congress leaders in Delhi’s South Avenue area. Those accompanying her included party leaders Derek O’Brien, Dola Sen, Samirul Islam, Pratima Mondal and Saket Gokhale.
Kejriwal, meanwhile, was detained outside his residence in Lodhi Estate as he headed towards the protest venue with leaders and activists of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Both leaders criticised the police action to suppress the demonstrations, before and after their detention. Banerjee described the situation as a “super emergency,” while Kejriwal said the country’s young people had awakened and would not be afraid.
Opposition parties have alleged that irregularities in the voter list revision process benefited the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Election Commission and the BJP, however, have denied the allegations of irregularities.
The detentions and subsequent release of Banerjee and Kejriwal were also reported by The Economic Times and The Times of India.
