New Delhi [India], September 27 (ANI): As Election Commission of India (ECI) faces scrutiny over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive, the Delhi Police clarified that a video circulating on social media purportedly showing a massive protest at Jantar Mantar was "old" and "archived material from a past event".
The viral video was shared by several accounts on X (formerly Twitter), including Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut. In a post, DCP New Delhi on Saturday said the claim of a live and massive protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar was "false" and warned of legal action against those deliberately spreading misleading content.
"MISINFORMATION ALERT The claim of a live, massive protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar today is false. The Video is Old: The footage being shared is archived material from a past event. Legal action will be taken against those found deliberately spreading misinformation or circulating misleading content," the post said.
🚨 MISINFORMATION ALERT 🚨
The claim of a live, massive protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar today is false.
The Video is Old: The footage being shared is archived material from a past event.
Legal action will be taken against those found deliberately spreading misinformation or… pic.twitter.com/lp7YE08xTw
Raut had shared the video on X, claiming, "Protests against Gyanesh Kumar Hatao have begun in Delhi, Today's Jantar Mantar scene.. A fight to the finish!"
ज्ञानेस कुमार हटाव चे नारे दिल्लीत सुरू झाले आहेत,
आजचा जंतर मंतर नजारा..
आर पार ची लढाई!@ECISVEEP @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/Iwntueyruz
The clarification came amid an ongoing political row over the functioning of the ECI following a report by The Indian Express, which said that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections at least 14 times over 10 months regarding decisions and procedures related to the SIR exercise.
The controversy over the EC intensified after opposition parties raised allegations regarding the SIR exercise and demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
Earlier on Saturday, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti had appealed to people to participate in a protest scheduled at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on September 29, calling for raising voices to protect democratic and secular values.
"An appeal to every Indian who cherishes the democratic and secular values that bind our diverse nation together. Let us come together and raise our voices for the India we believe in. Join us at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on 29 September, from 2–5 pm," Mufti said in a post on X.
She alleged that mosques, dargahs and churches were being demolished and claimed that names of Muslims were being removed from voter lists. The PDP chief said the Monitoring Committee for Indian Muslims had decided to organise the protest over these issues.
The Indian Youth Congress had also marched from Raisina Road to Jantar Mantar on Friday, demanding the CEC's resignation as part of the Congress' nationwide programme against the EC.
Meanwhile, Left leaders and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) have been pushing for a united opposition front against the CEC. Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee renewed her demand for Gyanesh Kumar's removal during a rally in Hooghly, alleging irregularities in the SIR process.
CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby called for a wider outreach against the EC's functioning and said the party had reached out to parties beyond the INDIA bloc. He said the CPI(M) had also written to the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) to build a broader movement.
CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said an INDIA bloc meeting was expected on September 30 to discuss the SIR exercise and issues related to the EC, while suggesting that the discussion should not remain limited to bloc partners.
Meanwhile, the ECI has rejected the allegations and stated that decisions related to the SIR schedule were made with the "unanimous approval of the Commission". The poll body also clarified that a letter sent to the Cabinet Secretary was related to the functioning of an officer on deputation and not any policy matter of the Commission. (ANI)
