New Delhi, Oct 5: Several members of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) were allegedly detained during their symbolic “living dead” protest near their headquarters at Raisina Road on Monday, demanding the resignation and arrest of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The protest, led by NSUI national president Vinod Jakhar, was held on the road leading from their headquarters in Raisina Road to Jantar Mantar, with members portraying themselves as “living dead” to draw attention to what the organisation described as threats to voters’ rights and the electoral process.
The protesters also carried placards with slogans such as “vote ki chori nahi chalegi, janta ki awaaz nahi dabegi” (vote theft will not be tolerated, the people’s voice will not be suppressed).
The student wing claimed that several NSUI members, including Jakhar, were detained by the Delhi Police during the demonstration.
The NSUI condemned the detentions, alleging that students were being silenced for raising questions about the electoral process.
NSUI National President Vinod Jakhar said, “Today, NSUI members became living dead to send a powerful message to the country: when the votes of citizens are stolen, and their democratic rights are undermined, what meaning does democracy have? We are demanding accountability from the Election Commission and the immediate resignation and arrest of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.”
The protest comes amid continued demonstrations in the national capital over allegations of irregularities in the electoral process, with several activists and leaders detained while protesting near Jantar Mantar over the past few days.
The NSUI has been demanding Kumar’s immediate resignation and arrest, alleging that the Election Commission has failed to address concerns raised over “vote chori”.
“The detention of NSUI National President Vinod Jakhar and our members is a deeply shameful and condemnable act. Students were peacefully protesting and raising legitimate questions about the electoral process. Instead of addressing those questions, the Delhi Police chose to detain those demanding accountability,” Ravi Hanuman Pandey, NSUI media in charge, said. (PTI)
