5,000 detained in Delhi; Mamata, Kejriwal, Dipke held

Other prominent detainees reportedly included former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Trinamool Congress leaders Derek O’Brien and Dola Sen, AISA president Neha Bora, Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh, political activist Yogendra Yadav and senior advocate Prashant Bhushan.

CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were also detained after arriving in Delhi by flight, while police took several opposition leaders and activists into preventive custody at different locations, media reports said.

According to 'The Hindu', more than 5,000 people had been detained by 2PM, citing a Delhi Police officer. Reuters, however, reported that hundreds had been detained, while the Associated Press said authorities had detained thousands.

The protest was organised by the CJP to demand Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The Election Commission has denied allegations of partisan manipulation.

-AH