Srinagar, Oct 10: Lok Sabha MP Ruhullah Mehdi criticised the heavy deployment of security forces in Delhi on Saturday to prevent protestors from gathering at Jantar Mantar to demand action against the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), warning that such curbs do not reflect well on democracy.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) called the demonstration demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, accusing him of masterminding voter-list manipulation during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll, as well as other irregularities involving Form 6, the voter registration form.
Mehdi, the MP from Srinagar, said the curbs, though, were not strange to a Kashmiri like him.
“Heavy security forces in the heart of India’s capital to stop citizens reaching Jantar Mantar. This does not speak well of a democracy. Being from Kashmir, none of this is strange to me. We don’t cherish it. We warn: this is what happens in Kashmir. Don’t let it happen to India,” Mehdi said in a post on his official handle on X.
Heavy security deployment and restrictions were imposed in the national capital. Authorities detained several opposition leaders, including former chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, Pinarayi Vijayan and Manik Sarkar, as they attempted to join the protest. Student activists, lawyers and journalists were also detained.
The Delhi Police detained more than 3,000 protesters, who were trying to reach Jantar Mantar for the proposed CJP stir.
