A major political row has broken out following a large-scale police crackdown on demonstrators attempting to reach a designated protest site at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Reports indicate that thousands of individuals were detained nationwide over a 72-hour period, with peaceful participants allegedly manhandled by law enforcement. Critics also pointed to the widespread cancellation of hundreds of passenger trains, which caused significant distress to citizens across the country, and drew comparisons to the restrictions of the 1975 Emergency.
The tensions escalated when protesters entered Delhi's Gurudwara Bangla Sahib to evade detention, leading to police personnel following them into the area. This sequence of events sparked a fierce debate over religious sentiments and law enforcement conduct.
The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee subsequently submitted a formal written complaint to the Delhi Police against Aam Aadmi Party leaders. The committee accused these figures of spreading fabricated videos and manufacturing a false narrative to disrupt communal harmony ahead of upcoming elections in Punjab.
Both the management committee and the Delhi Police issued clarifications regarding the incident inside the shrine. Authorities explained that the officers simply walked through a regular, common passageway where footwear is permitted, which serves as the route leading directly to the shoe-removal area.
Conversely, opposition parties maintained that police officers entered the sacred premises wearing their shoes, thereby insulting religious sentiments. The demonstrations themselves centered on demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, with critics accusing the government of shielding him.
In response to the unrest, heavy security measures were implemented across the capital. Personnel from the Rapid Action Force and the Central Reserve Police Force were deployed outside the shrine and nearby Connaught Place. Authorities ultimately detained several demonstrators at the scene and successfully restored normal traffic movement around the historic shrine.