Delhi detains 3,000 plus to block protest against Gyanesh Kumar
Delhi saw a huge police crackdown this week, with more than 3,000 people, including AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, former Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, detained to block a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The move sparked political confrontation and criticism that followed.
Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee criticize crackdown
Police said the protest didn't follow proper procedures and could have caused law and order problems.
With 35,000 police and paramilitary personnel plus drones and body cameras on the ground, detentions quickly spread from political leaders to students and activists.
The crackdown led to court challenges over basic rights and drew sharp criticism from opposition leaders: Kejriwal accused them of attacking the Constitution and vowed to continue the fight to defend democratic rights, while Banerjee said they had been taken around in a prisoner van for two hours.
Demands for the release of detained lawyers are growing louder.