SC Delhi Protest Hearing LIVE: SC says 'not sitting in ivory tower’, questions Rahul Gandhi's conduct over SIR petition

SC Delhi protest hearing LIVE: Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Delhi government seeking response on a plea challenging Delhi police’s de-notification of Jantar Mantar has a protest site.

SC Delhi protest hearing SG Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, has told the Supreme Court that the apologies tendered before the to[p court by the authorities are only in keeping with the manner in which contempt proceedings work.

SG objects to media reports with headlines saying authorities have apologised for contempt of court orders.

“We are not taking cognisance of unconditional and unqualified apologies. Because of your submission, it will become qualified,” the SC said.

SC Delhi protest hearing LIVE: ) YSRCP supremo YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has said the arrest of CJP leaders will not solve anything and called for the restoration of "trust in the electoral process," in light of the row over the SIR of electoral rolls.

CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were arrested and lodged in the Tihar Jail for allegedly violating their peace bonds and trespassing into Jantar Mantar on Tuesday after it had been denotified as a protest area.

"Trust in the electoral process must be restored. The arrests of Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka do not solve anything; it only aggravates the situation," Reddy said in a post on X late on Wednesday.

SC Delhi protest hearing LIVE: The Supreme Court of India has beun hearing the petitions filed regarding the crackdown on protests and curbs placed in Delhi, including shutting down internet and metro stations. The Opposition's challenge to SIR, filed by Rahul Gandhi, will also be taken up by the top court.

SC Delhi Protest Hearing LIVE: Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar tenders "unconditional and unqualified apology" to Supreme Court in contempt case over curbs during Cockroach Janta Party protest, reported Bar and Bench.

This comes after a apology was also issued earlier in the day by union home secretary Govind Mohan.

Anti-CEC protest LIVE: The Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Mumbai has asked actor Imran Khan, who was claimed to be an American citizen, to leave India by October 28.

The move came after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya complained that the actor, despite having a US passport and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI), had participated in Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)'s protest against chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar at the August Kranti Maidan in Mumbai Central on October 10.

FRRO is the agency responsible for regulating the registration, movement, stay, departure, and visa extensions of foreign nationals. It operates under the Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs. It operates in close coordination with and through the police infrastructure. Read full story here.

Anti-CEC protest LIVE: Tamil Nadu chief minister Vijay's party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has also joined the INDIA bloc's protest seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Delhi protest LIVE: Union home secretary Govind Mohan tendered an “unconditional and unqualified apology” before the Supreme Court regarding the internet suspension in Central Delhi.

While the secretary denied that there was any willful or deliberate non-compliance with its directions, his affidavit before the top court defended the suspension of cellular internet services as a proportionate measure to prevent the spread of rumours and maintain public order during the October 10 protest.

The suspension was imposed from 10pm on October 9 until 10pm on October 10 within a four-kilometre radius of Raisina Hill, the affidavit said, adding that wi-fi and broadband services were not suspended. Mohan has sought discharge of the contempt notice and modification of the Supreme Court’s October 11 order to permit internet suspensions in situations of necessity, subject to the law and applicable safeguards.

Delhi protest LIVE: The Supreme Court of India will hear various petitions regarding the recent crackdown in Delhi over the anti-CEC protests.

The petitions raise issues of mass detentions, alleged police brutalities, arbitrary closure of metro stations, internet shutdown and more.

Furthermore, a petition filed by the Opposition, led by Rahul Gandhi, against the Election Commission's special intensive revision will also be heard by the top court today.

Delhi protest LIVE: Delhi High Court will hear a plea today, against the protest called by the Cockroach Janta party set to take place in Central Park at Connaught Place tomorrow.

As per Live Law, the high court has called asks counsel to appear at 2:30pm, with case details and copy of orders passed by Supreme Court today Delhi protest matters.

Delhi protest LIVE: Mumbai Police has directed actor Imran Khan, nephew of Aamir Khan, to leave India by October 28 over his participation in a protest at Mumbai’s August Kranti Maidan. The demonstration called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and Khan was detained by police during the protest.

According to Mumbai Police, action has been initiated against the actor under the relevant provision of the Immigration Act, as he is not an Indian citizen and allegedly took part in the protest.

Delhi protest LIVE: Keralam Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Thursday defended the registration of a Zero FIR in connection with the alleged assault of NSUI activist and law student Athira Vijayan during a protest in Delhi, saying that participating in a protest or expressing dissent was not a crime.

Chennithala accused Delhi Police of committing a serious mistake and said the state government was exploring all available legal options based on Athira's complaint.

“It is clear that the Delhi Police committed a very serious mistake. The most important point is that a student named Athira participated in a protest there. Athira, an NSUI leader, was brutally assaulted. She was taken to a place without CCTV cameras and allegedly subjected to severe physical abuse, leaving injuries all over her body. Her clothes were also torn. Even after she raised the complaint, nobody came forward to address her concerns,” he told ANI.

"It was under these circumstances that she sent her complaint to me and the DGP today. Since she is a youth activist from Kerala, the Museum Police in Kerala registered an FIR last night. It is a Zero FIR, and we will proceed with the necessary legal action," he added.

Delhi protest LIVE: CPI(M) MP John Brittas, speaking to news agency ANI, said, “We hope that we will get a favourable decree from the Supreme Court. I have written to the CJI narrating the horrifying incidents I had to face. I was illegally detained by the Delhi Police, dragged to a vehicle, and also harassed by the CRPF. I wrote to the CJI, narrating all these incidents, and I am thankful to the Supreme Court that he has converted that letter into an interlocutory petition.”

He added, “He has tagged it with the petition from the INDIA bloc allies. We hope to move simultaneously on the legal discourse as well as the political discourse.”

Delhi protest LIVE: Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi backed peaceful protests at Jantar Mantar, saying that waving the national flag during a demonstration was not a crime and describing the jailing of young people for doing so as an act of cowardice.

Gandhi's support came after CJP's Ajinkya Shinde alleged that leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained for waving the Tricolour and raising slogans of 'Vande Mataram' and 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'.

In a post on X, Gandhi said, “Waving the Tricolour at Jantar Mantar in a peaceful protest is not a crime. Jailing youth for it is an act of cowardice. Students. Youth. Journalists. The INDIA bloc. Different banners, one cause. All protests are one: citizens demanding their constitutional rights.”

Asserting that Jantar Mantar belonged to the people of the country, Gandhi further said, “Jantar Mantar belongs to the people of India. We will reclaim it.”

Delhi protest LIVE: The Congress’ efforts to bring civil society on board for its protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar have seen limited success but an attempt was made to reach out to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) through advocate Prashant Bhushan on Tuesday, people aware of the details said.

According to the people cited above, Bhushan tried to bring the CJP leadership to a meeting of the INDIA bloc leaders hosted by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi at his residence on Tuesday evening.

The CJP, however, did not attend the meeting. There was no formal discussion on the outfit during the meeting, the people said. Read the full story here.

Delhi protest LIVE: Delhi Police commissioner Anurag Kumar has defended the denial of permission for the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)’s October 10 march and the preventive detention of protesters as “proportionate to the legitimate objective of maintaining law and order and preventing harm to persons and property”, asserting that the police administration could not have allowed breach of public order by an organisation with a recent history of mob violence, destruction of properties and incidents causing injuries to several people.

In a counter-affidavit filed in response to contempt proceedings over alleged non-compliance with the Supreme Court’s directions on regulating public transport during the protest, the police commissioner described the July 20 march by CJP over the NEET-UG paper leak as “unauthorised, unlawful and illegal”.

The police have argued that those participating in the previous march were part of an unlawful assembly, seeking to justify the action taken against the mobilisation on October 10. Read the full story here

Delhi protest LIVE: The Supreme Court of India will be hearing the plea filed by Rahul Gandhi and the Opposition challenging the special intensive revision (SIR) by the Election Commission of India. Gandhi's petition was filed earlier this week amid a series of protests in Delhi, seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

As per Live Law, the matter will be heard by a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant at 10:30am.

Delhi protest LIVE: American singer Mary Millben on Wednesday (local time) claimed CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke had connections with US donors and accused him of lawlessness amid ongoing agitation against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in India.

In a post on X, Millben directly addressed Dipke and urged him to engage with the Prime Minister, saying, “Oh dear @abhijeet_dipke, the truth sets everybody free. Even you. And here’s the truth: these US donors will drop you like a hot cake when you don’t succeed. And you won’t, because lawlessness never wins. Instead, take your US education, talent, and use it for good. Sit down with the PM @narendramodi and be a positive voice to advance India. The truth of your courage to do what’s right lies in your next steps.”

Her remarks were a response to Dipke's post on X, in which he questioned the claimed involvement of foreign nationals in India's internal affairs and alleged PM Modi of seeking American support to discredit his fellow citizens.

In a post on X, Dipke said, “Why is Modi seeking the support of Americans to discredit his own countrymen? Who gave foreign nationals the right to interfere in India’s internal affairs? We are more than capable of dealing with our own issues. We don’t need outsiders interfering in our country’s affairs."

Delhi protest LIVE: The top brass of Delhi Police on Thursday will hold a high-level meeting at the police headquarters to plan fresh strategies, including security and traffic arrangements, at Central Park in Connaught Place after Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke called on “patriots” to hoist the Tricolour at the spot on Friday, according to three senior police officers aware of the details.

Delhi protest LIVE: The Supreme Court of India on Thursday is set to hear a plea filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and several other opposition leaders over alleged large-scale voter deletions and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

As per the cause list of October 15 uploaded on the apex court website, the plea would come up for hearing before a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi.

Gandhi and several other opposition leaders marched to the apex court to file the petition on Monday.

Along with the Opposition's plea, the apex court will also hear separate petitions related to protests, closure of metro stations and disruptions in train services ahead of the October 10 agitation in Delhi against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.