Story perspectives

Police detain Dhruv Rathee after London protest over Kumar

By Drooid · Oct 18, 2026, 10:21 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Dhruv Rathee Leads Protest

Dhruv Rathee led a protest in London demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resign.
Hundreds of Indian students attended, waving Communist, Congress and Indian Workers Association flags.
Organisers included SFI-UK, Indian Overseas Congress Youth wing, Save Democracy and South Asia Solidarity Group.
Counter-protest led by Hirdesh Gupta supported Modi and rejected foreign interference.
The rally followed a Cockroach Janata Party “Emergency Protest” calling for Kumar’s removal and SIR cancellation.

Summary

Police Detain Rathee

Police detained Rathee under Section 172(2) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita in Gurugram.
Rathee described the detention as a kidnapping by roughly 20 plain-clothes individuals.
Noida Police later called online arrest rumors false, misleading and baseless.
NDTA joint secretary Amit Gupta said Connaught Place closure was for public safety.
Six U.S. Democratic lawmakers urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to question India over protest repression.

History

Historical Context

On 25 June 1975 President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, on Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s advice, invoked Article 352 to impose a 21-month Emergency, suspending elections, civil liberties and censoring the press; more than 100,000 opponents were jailed. The crackdown sparked nationwide protests led by figures such as Jayaprakash Narayan. Today’s diaspora rallies organized by Dhruv Rathee, SFI-UK and the Indian Workers Association echo those 1975 demonstrations, demanding accountability for election officials.

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Dhruv Rathee Leads Protest

Dhruv Rathee led a protest in London demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resign.
Hundreds of Indian students attended, waving Communist, Congress and Indian Workers Association flags.
Organisers included SFI-UK, Indian Overseas Congress Youth wing, Save Democracy and South Asia Solidarity Group.
Counter-protest led by Hirdesh Gupta supported Modi and rejected foreign interference.
The rally followed a Cockroach Janata Party “Emergency Protest” calling for Kumar’s removal and SIR cancellation.

1 / 3