On October 10, Delhi put tight security arrangements in place amid calls for protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and over alleged irregularities in the Special Revision Intensive (SIR) exercise. Barricades were erected on roads leading to Jantar Mantar and India Gate while heavy police and security forces were deployed, and numerous protesters were detained.

Newslaundry set out to document the day’s events in Delhi, from the traffic jams and police blockades encountered on the way to Jantar Mantar, to the detention of protesters and their regrouping at the Safdarjung flyover.

We met with students, senior citizens, social activists, political leaders, and other protesters. We sought to understand why they joined the protest, their concerns about the Election Commission and the SIR, and their strategies for moving the movement forward amid police action. We also spoke with social media influencers who came out in support of the police action.

We also caught up with satirist Sanjay Rajoura and CPI(ML) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya about the direction of the protest, democratic rights, and future strategies.

Watch this report from the streets of Delhi.