More than 100 detained during Chennai protest against election chief

Chennai police detained more than 100 AISF and AIYF members on October 10 as they tried to march to the Tamil Nadu Secretariat. The demonstrators demanded the removal of India’s Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The protesters gathered near the Periyar statue on Anna Salai before moving along Sivananda Salai. AIYF state secretary K. Bharathi and AISF state president K. Ibrahim led the procession, which aimed to stage a protest at the state Chief Electoral Officer’s office.

Police stopped the group from proceeding. The Hindu reported that participants were forced into vehicles after arguments and resistance, then held at a community hall.

A participant named Kavin, from Mylapore, sustained a head injury during the scuffle and was taken to hospital. The report gives no further details about his condition.

Demonstrators accused Gyanesh Kumar of electoral wrongdoing and demanded criminal action against him. They also criticised Narendra Modi’s government. Those claims reflect the protesters’ position, and the account of the detentions does not establish their validity.

The Chennai demonstration coincided with a Cockroach Janata Party protest and other youth organisations’ agitation at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The article does not specify whether the Chennai detainees were charged or how long they remained in custody.