‘Dilli Haat becomes our Jantar Mantar’: Neha Bora leads CJP protest

New Delhi: All India Students' Association (AISA) president Neha Bora joined the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest in Delhi on Saturday, raising slogans against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and leading demonstrators amid a crackdown on the planned mobilisation.

'Dilli Haat becomes our Jantar Mantar! Gyanesh Kumar must go!' Bora declared in a social media post as protesters continued their agitation against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demanded the CEC's resignation.

Bora was also heard raising the revolutionary slogan, 'Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamare dil mein hai, dekhna hai zor kitna baazu-e-qatil mein hai.'

The couplet translates to, 'The desire for martyrdom now burns in our hearts; let us see how much strength the arm of the executioner possesses.'

Associated with India's freedom struggle, the verse reflects defiance in the face of authority and resistance to attempts to suppress a movement.

The protest unfolded amid heightened security across the national capital, with police detaining several organisers and participants ahead of the demonstration at Jantar Mantar. Authorities had denied permission for the gathering, citing concerns over law and order and procedural requirements. 

Bora had urged protesters to continue agitation despite arrests

On Friday, a day before the planned demonstration, Bora had called on people travelling to Delhi to continue the agitation even if its organisers were arrested.

In a video message, the AISA president alleged that large-scale house arrests were taking place and that police personnel were searching for protest organisers.

She also claimed that trains bound for Delhi were being stopped and that authorities had closed 57 metro stations ahead of the demonstration.

'This is nothing but a state of open emergency in the country,' she said, criticising the security measures and restrictions imposed ahead of the protest.

Bora drew a parallel between the planned mobilisation and the Quit India Movement of 1942, arguing that the arrest of political leaders would not be enough to stop a mass movement.

'History is repeating itself. Just like in 1942, the arrest of leaders could not stop the Quit India movement; this movement will also not stop,' she said.

She urged demonstrators to take charge if the organisers were detained and called on people to stage sit-ins wherever they were stopped, including at railway and metro stations.

'Wherever you are stopped, whether it is a metro or train station, sit down right there with your demands of 'roll back SIR, Gyanesh Kumar must go',' Bora said.

'There is no turning back. It is we the people versus the BJP,' she added. 

Protest against SIR and CEC Gyanesh Kumar

The October 10 demonstration was called by CJP along with several student organisations, including AISA, the Students' Federation of India (SFI), the All India Students' Federation (AISF) and other youth groups.

The protesters' main demands include withdrawing the SIR exercise and Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over allegations about the revision of electoral rolls.

The mobilisation had been preceded by calls for people from across the country to travel to Delhi under the banner of a joint agitation.

Organisers maintained that the protest would proceed despite the denial of police permission.

Security restrictions, metro station closures and detentions marked the tense build-up to Saturday's demonstration.

The protest has renewed attention on the political dispute over electoral roll revisions and how authorities respond to public demonstrations.

Bora's participation and her appeal to continue the agitation despite arrests underscored the resolve of the student groups and other demonstrators backing the campaign against the SIR exercise and demanding accountability from the Election Commission.