Jantar Mantar protest LIVE: Delhi police ask protesters to leave, site sealed from both sides amid tight security

Police detain a woman protester near Jantar Mantar during a protest seeking Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over voter roll deletions, in New Delhi on Friday.Jantar Mantar protest LIVE: The protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar continues at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Saturday, All India Students’ Association (AISA) national president Neha Bora said on Friday, urging supporters to return to the protest site after a day of detentions across the national Capital. Addressing supporters, Bora said the protesters would return the next day and asked them to rest and regain their energy before gathering again at Jantar Mantar.“They are using thousands of police personnel to save that one man”, she said, referring to the security arrangements around the protest and reiterating the demand for Kumar’s resignation. Bora also said Friday’s mobilisation was not limited to Delhi and that the protest would continue to spread across the country. Meanwhile, Political activist Yogendra Yadav also announced his participation in the next round of protests. In a post on X, he wrote, “Jantar Mantar 2.0 Continues…We meet again today. 3 October” at 1 pm at Jantar Mantar. The protests are centred on allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the demand for the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar. Around 1,000 detained across Delhi Around 1,000 people were detained across Delhi on Friday as police and security forces stopped protesters from reaching Jantar Mantar for the proposed demonstration. The protest had been called for 11am by the AAP, AISA, Students’ Federation of India (SFI), National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), Indian Youth Congress (IYC) and other student and youth organisations. Nearly 750 people were detained from areas around Jantar Mantar, while another 400 were detained from other parts of Delhi during the day. Around 200 people were also placed under house arrest in the morning. Those picked up from the streets were taken in buses arranged by the Delhi Police to different police stations. Among those detained were former Delhi chief minister and senior AAP leader Atishi, AISA president Neha Bora and Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav. Several other AAP leaders, civil society activists, members of left-backed student organisations and Congress youth wing workers were also detained. More than 5,000 security personnel were deployed in and around Jantar Mantar to prevent protesters from reaching the site. ...Read More“They are using thousands of police personnel to save that one man”, she said, referring to the security arrangements around the protest and reiterating the demand for Kumar’s resignation. Bora also said Friday’s mobilisation was not limited to Delhi and that the protest would continue to spread across the country. Meanwhile, Political activist Yogendra Yadav also announced his participation in the next round of protests. In a post on X, he wrote, “Jantar Mantar 2.0 Continues…We meet again today. 3 October” at 1 pm at Jantar Mantar. The protests are centred on allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the demand for the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar. Around 1,000 detained across Delhi Around 1,000 people were detained across Delhi on Friday as police and security forces stopped protesters from reaching Jantar Mantar for the proposed demonstration. The protest had been called for 11am by the AAP, AISA, Students’ Federation of India (SFI), National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), Indian Youth Congress (IYC) and other student and youth organisations. Nearly 750 people were detained from areas around Jantar Mantar, while another 400 were detained from other parts of Delhi during the day. Around 200 people were also placed under house arrest in the morning. Those picked up from the streets were taken in buses arranged by the Delhi Police to different police stations. Among those detained were former Delhi chief minister and senior AAP leader Atishi, AISA president Neha Bora and Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav. Several other AAP leaders, civil society activists, members of left-backed student organisations and Congress youth wing workers were also detained. More than 5,000 security personnel were deployed in and around Jantar Mantar to prevent protesters from reaching the site. Follow all the updates here:Oct 3, 2026, 13:45:46 ISTJantar Mantar protest LIVE: Police asks crowd to disperse, detentions beginJantar Mantar protest LIVE: Delhi Police has started making announcements asking people gathered at the Jantar Mantar protest site to disperse.Police have also started detaining protesters at the site.On Friday, nearly 750 people were detained from areas around Jantar Mantar, while another 400 were detained from other parts of Delhi during the day.Oct 3, 2026, 13:43:24 ISTJantar Mantar protest LIVE: Mahua Moitra urges people to join stir in larger numbersJantar Mantar protest LIVE: TMC leader Mahua Moitra appealed to people to come out in larger numbers for the protest against chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. In a video posted online, Moitra said protesting was a right that “noone is going to snatch” from people, “least of all Delhi police.”“11 metro stations shut down. Central Delhi Sealed off. 700 protestors detained. Gyanesh Kumar will go and so will his master. This fight continues today, 3rd October 1 PM at Jantar Mantar,” she said.Oct 3, 2026, 13:29:26 ISTJantar Mantar protest LIVE: Internet services working in Jantar Mantar area todayJantar Mantar protest LIVE: Internet services in and around the Jantar Mantar area are currently functioning, unlike Friday when telecom companies were asked to suspend internet services in New Delhi district from 9am to 9pm.Oct 3, 2026, 13:28:26 ISTJantar Mantar protest LIVE: Security deployment stepped upJantar Mantar protest LIVE: Security personnel have been deployed in larger numbers in and around the Jantar Mantar protest site as people continue to gather ahead of the planned demonstration.Oct 3, 2026, 13:26:18 ISTJantar Mantar protest LIVE: Protesters begin gathering at Jantar MantarGargi Shukla/HT photoJantar Mantar protest LIVE: People have started gathering at Jantar Mantar ahead of the planned protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.Oct 3, 2026, 13:25:27 ISTJantar Mantar protest LIVE: Stir site sealed from both sides amid protest call todayJantar Mantar protest LIVE: Security has been tightened around Jantar Mantar, with the lane leading to the back side of the protest site from Ashoka Road sealed with multiple layers of barricading. Only residents and their staff are being allowed to enter.The road leading to the protest site from the front side, via Tolstoy Marg near Janpath Market, has also been sealed.Oct 3, 2026, 13:09:50 ISTJantar Mantar protest LIVE: Delhi Police registers three FIRsJantar Mantar protest LIVE: The Delhi Police has registered at least three cases in connection with Friday’s protests, according to two senior officers aware of the development.The FIRs were registered at Parliament Street and Connaught Place police stations based on daily diary (DD) entries made by police officials. The cases were registered under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), relating to “disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant”, the officers said.“While no individuals or organisations have been named in the suspects/accused’s column of the FIRs, the mentioning of the organisers and organisations that proposed and participated in the demonstrations is in the contents of the FIRs,” one of the officers said, requesting anonymity. Read More