Defending the Election Commission of India, Sawant emphasized its independence and stated that the electoral process, including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, was conducted in accordance with the Constitution. He said, “The Election Commission is an independent institution… the electoral process is conducted in accordance with the Constitution, and the SIR was carried out based on that same mechanism. This is not the first time an SIR has taken place in the country; it happens every 10 years.”

Sawant explained that individuals whose names were removed from electoral rolls could apply for re-inclusion by filing Form-6. He added that eligible voters have the constitutional right to vote, while non-citizens, deceased persons, those who have relocated, or individuals with names listed in multiple locations would not be granted voting rights.

The Chief Minister further alleged that certain political parties were inciting youths affiliated with the CJP to target constitutional institutions because these parties could not be politically active themselves. “Certain political parties are unnecessarily inciting and pushing forward young people under the banner of the CJP. Since they cannot get involved themselves politically, they are using youths associated with the CJP to launch an attack on the independent constitutional institutions of our democracy,” he said.

Regarding the central government’s response to the protests, Sawant supported the detention of some individuals as necessary to maintain law and order. He urged opponents of the electoral process to seek legal recourse rather than resorting to repeated street demonstrations. “This went on all day in Delhi, but I believe the Government of India acted correctly by detaining certain individuals to maintain law and order. Repeatedly taking to the streets in this manner is not appropriate. These people should challenge the matter in court… but they have no intention of fighting a legal battle,” he stated.

Sawant also accused leaders of the INDIA bloc of protesting because they had lost elections due to EVMs and had been rejected by voters. “They know they have lost due to EVMs and that the people have rejected them; that is why they are doing this,” he remarked.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi announced that the Congress and the INDIA bloc would stage another protest on October 12. Gandhi alleged that Delhi Police and BJP workers had used violence against students and women during Saturday’s CJP-led demonstration demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

“On Monday, October 12, the Congress, the entire INDIA alliance, and the youth of the country will once again take to the streets in large numbers. And this time, too, the voice will resonate across the nation—louder than ever before,” Gandhi said.

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Delhi saw heightened security measures, mass detentions, and political confrontations on Saturday during the CJP-led protest at Jantar Mantar demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged electoral roll irregularities and the SIR exercise.

Police detained CJP members Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das from an aircraft. Barricades were erected at the Ghazipur border, and gates at 45 Metro stations were closed amid security arrangements.

Approximately 1,000 people were detained in the national capital, including Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Pinarayi Vijayan, and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee.