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Updated - October 17, 2026 10:21 am IST
Screengrab taken from YouTube shows AISA president Beha Bora speaking to reporters after being released on October 17, 2026.
All India Students’ Association (AISA) president Neha Bora was released early on Saturday (October 17, 2026) morning, while Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke will be produced before the SEM court, Delhi Police said.
On October 16, 2026, Mr. Dipke and AISA chief Neha Bora were preventively detained by Delhi Police while on their way to participate in the ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ protests. Ms. Bora was subsequently released after formal procedures under Section 65 of the Delhi Police Act, while action under Section 126/170 of the BNSS was initiated against Mr. Dipke, who will be produced before the SEM court, Delhi Police said.
Several groups of protesters and activists holding national flags converged near the Central Park in Connaught Place for the ‘ Lehra Do Tiranga’ (wave the tricolour) march on Friday. The crowd swelled through the evening as more protesters, activists, and student groups joined the march with national flags.
Meanwhile, various farmers’ organisations, under the banner of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), will march to Delhi on October 23 demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Follow LIVE updates here
Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Saturday (October 17, 2026) hit back at Union minister Rajnath Singh over his “regime change” charge against the Congress, saying it is the people who want a regime change, and that it is “time to go” for this government.
Mr. Sibal’s remarks came a day after Mr. Singh lashed out at the Congress and its allies over the protests in the national capital against alleged electoral irregularities, accusing them of seeking a regime change on the lines of Bangladesh and using the energy of youth to spread “anarchy”.
Addressing a presser in Lucknow, Mr. Singh said democracy does not give anyone the licence to create disorder or undermine the credibility of constitutional institutions.
In a post on X, Mr. Sibal said, “Rajnath Singh: You allege that Congress wants ‘regime change’ the Bangladesh route. No. People want ‘regime change’.”
“Protests with the slogan ‘India against corruption’ brought you power. Then: You embraced corruption; captured institutions; manipulated voters list. Time to go!” the Independent MP said. -- PTI
Actor-activist Prakash Raj has asserted that peaceful nationwide protests against CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the SIR of electoral rolls would persist despite attempts to “suppress” them.
He was speaking to reporters after attending a protest meeting against Chief Election Commissioner Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls at Manaveeyam Veedhi here on Friday.
Before the event began, police intervened, saying the organisers did not obtain permission to use a microphone.
This led to a minor tussle, after which the police allowed the event to continue.
Mr. Raj said the country’s youth would continue to protest peacefully, drawing inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi, B R Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh. -- PTI
The Congress on Friday (October 16, 2026) said regime change in India always happens through elections and seeking it is not wrong. It also said that the Opposition’s job in a democracy is to “oppose, expose and depose”.
The party’s comments followed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s allegation that Congress and its allies want a Bangladesh-like regime change in India by creating “anarchy through street protests”.
Congress hits back at Rajnath Singh, cites Pranab Mukherjee on Opposition to oppose, expose, depose.
Members of the Indian diaspora in London staged a counter-protest in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (October 16, 2026) (local time), opposing demonstrations by the Congress-backed National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and other like-minded groups outside the Indian High Commission.
Meanwhile, protesters took out a Tiranga rally outside Central Park in Connaught Place amid heightened security on Friday -- ANI
The anguish, anger and responsibility of the youth of the country will change the regime, actor and activist Prakash Raj said here on Friday (October 16, 2026). He urged the youth to keep their fight going with a smile, “because our smile, our laughter is our resilience.”
Mr. Prakash Raj was addressing a packed audience at the Manaveeyam Veedhi in the State capital, which had transformed into a protest zone on Friday evening, raising the slogans “Stop Special Intensive Revision (SIR)” and “Dismiss (Chief Election Commissioner) Gyanesh Kumar.” The event, Jantar Mantar@ Manaveeyam Veedhi, was organised by Collective for Democracy.
Youth of the country on the verge of building a new India, says Prakash Raj in Keralam’s Thiruvananthapuram
More than 99% of hearings on notices issued under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) have been completed across Karnataka, with only 19,365 hearings pending, the Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) office said on Friday.
Kalaburagi has the highest number of pending hearings at 8,224, followed by Bengaluru Rural at 1,523. Gadag has the fewest, with 10 hearings pending.
Over 99% of SIR hearings completed in Karnataka; auto-generated Form-7 for Form-8 shift of residence noted, with rising counts.
Six US Democratic lawmakers, including Pramila Jayapal and Ilhan Omar, have urged U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to raise with his Indian interlocutors the alleged excessive use of force during student protests in Delhi and other parts of India.
The congresspersons – Jayapal, Omar, Jim McGovern, Rashida Tlaib, Eleanor Holmes Norton, and Jesus Garcia – accused the Indian Embassy here and consulates in other American cities of deploying photographers for surveillance of protesters carrying out demonstrations in support of the Cockroach Janata Party.
Mr. Rubio is visiting India next week and meeting External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Mumbai.
“We write with concern regarding a pattern of repression, wrongful detention, and excessive use of force by security forces during student protests in Delhi and other localities across India,” the congresspersons said in a letter to Mr. Rubio on Friday (October 16, 2026). -- PTI
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leader Abhijeet Dipke was detained by the police as heavy security was deployed in Connaught Place on Friday (October 16, 2026) ahead of the ‘ Lehra Do Tiranga‘ (wave the tricolour) protest to prevent a large gathering. Central Park, the announced venue for the protest, remained out of bounds.
Detentions and security clampdown as CJP-led Tiranga protest in Delhi prompts BJP-Congress clashes over regime-change claims and opposition roles.
Demonstrators gathered at Azad Maidan on Friday (October 16, 2026) under the banner of ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the withdrawal of the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the release of activists detained in New Delhi.
Mumbai protesters demand CEC resignation, halt SIR, and release detained activists at Azad Maidan in solidarity with Delhi demos.
Various farmers’ organisations, under the banner of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), will march to Delhi on October 23 demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Briefing reporters here on Friday, senior SKM leader and president of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) Ashok Dhawale said farmers would hold protests simultaneously at all district, taluk and block headquarters in support of the demand.
Farmers march to Delhi on Oct 23 protesting CEC SIR, with nationwide protests, AIKS-SKM unity, and 90-year conference in Nalgonda.
CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya on Friday (October 16, 2026) called for an intensified struggle against alleged voter fraud and described curbs on the right to protest as “nothing short of India’s second freedom movement”.
In a post on X, Mr. Bhattacharya said people took to the streets to defend their right to vote against what he called “ vote chori” and were then forced to fight for their right to protest.
CPI(ML) Liberation calls curbs on protests India’s second freedom movement amid voter fraud allegations and Jantar Mantar denotification.
As the protests seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar entered the seventh consecutive day on Friday (October 16, 2026), several groups of protesters and activists holding national flags started converging near the Central Park in Connaught Place as early as 3 p.m., two hours before the scheduled ‘ Lehra Do Tiranga’ (wave the tricolour) march announced by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and other Left students’ organisations.
Thousands join Lehra Do Tiranga protests in Connaught Place demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar amid heavy security and detentions.
All India Students’ Association (AISA) president Neha Bora was released early Saturday (October 17, 2026) morning, while Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke will be produced before the SEM court, Delhi Police said.
AISA chief Neha Bora released; Abhijeet Dipke to be produced before SEM court after preventive custody ahead of Delhi protest march.
Published - October 17, 2026 07:08 am IST
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