New Delhi: In a powerful and uncompromising statement, the president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) condemned the detention of students protesting against what they describe as a “calculated assault on India’s democratic rights.” The protest, organised by the JNU Students’ Union and AISA, was aimed at the Election Commission of India (ECI) over its controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar, which, according to student leaders, has removed the names of lakhs of legitimate voters from the rolls.
The demonstration began peacefully from the JNU main gate, but Delhi Police intercepted the march. Most protesters were detained on the spot, with several more picked up outside the ECI office. The detainees were taken to Kapashera Police Station before being released later in the evening, reportedly after the presence of several women protesters was taken into consideration.
The JNUSU president accused the ECI of “deliberate voter disenfranchisement” and the government of “institutional capture,” pointing to recent revelations from Karnataka where, in a single assembly seat, lakhs of fake voters were allegedly added. “When political parties and activists go into the field and prove that people are alive, of eligible age, and have valid documents, yet their names are removed, it is nothing short of a targeted attack on democracy,” he said.
The student leader argued that the BJP’s silence on the SIR is telling: “They are not protesting because they are the ones benefiting from voter fraud. The ECI today functions entirely as an agent of the BJP.” He demanded the immediate withdrawal of the SIR, the publication of a transparent digital voter list, and a public press conference by the ECI explaining these irregularities.
The JNUSU president accused Delhi Police of serving the government rather than the law, saying rights were being trampled and voting denied. He warned, “If they fail the Constitution, we’ll hold them accountable on the streets. JNU stands with democracy and voting rights.”