Anti-CEC protest on October 10: Police, security forces throw wide net across New Delhi

The first few hours of October 10 saw the police and security forces throwing a wide net across the New Delhi area, as the traffic restrictions put in place by the Delhi Police kicked in at 6 am even as early bird protesters who had come from the NCR regions like Gurugram and Faridabad managed to reach the Ashoka Road side entrance to the Jantar Mantar protest site.

As security forces started blocking more roads along key roads of New Delhi like Janpath, Ashoka Road, police personnel and security forces held debriefing sessions with large numbers of officials who were seen carrying tear gas munitions.

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By 9 a.m., at least five protesters who had managed to reach the Ashoka Road entrance to the protest site were detained by security personnel and boarded onto buses that have surrounded the area. Of the detained protesters were 63-year-old Shaheena, from Gurugram, whose 36-year-old daughter was also detained and put on a bus.

The mother-daughter duo had managed to drive into Delhi around 5 am. “We thought we should leave early because it would have been more difficult later. It was so important for me to be here because we need to save our democracy from this ruling BJP government. Our entire citizenship is being questioned through the SIR process.” Shaheena, a homemaker, is here at Jantar Mantar with her daughter, who had made a poster as well.

Apart from them, Geetika, a 25-year-old software engineer from Faridabad had also reached the entrance to the protest site early in the morning but was detained along with Shaheena’s daughter, Sabika Muzaffar. Around the same time, security personnel were seen detaining two other men and boarded them onto a different bus.

Before getting detained, Geetika spoke to The Hindu, saying, “Usually, our country has seen serious enquiries whenever such serious allegations are made like the ones against the CEC in the Indian Express report. But where is the investigation? Why is there no inquiry into such serious charges?” she told The Hindu. She said that she left her home at 4 am without telling her family because “It is now or never”. She added, “The news we heard of the intense security arrangements all day yesterday made me scared. But that is also what made me decide finally that I have to come here to protest.”