Indian police detain protesters over voter rolls

Indian police detained several demonstrators in New Delhi on Saturday as protests continued for a second day over changes to voter rolls, with opposition groups calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The demonstrations were supported by the Gen Z-led Cockroach Janta Party and other opposition organisations. Protesters allege that the voter-roll changes could benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling party, while authorities say the verification process is aimed at improving the accuracy of electoral records.

Around 100 protesters gathered in the capital and removed security barricades before raising slogans against Kumar. Police subsequently moved in and detained some of the demonstrators.

Among those taking part were independent lawmaker Kapil Sibal, All India Students’ Association president Neha Bora, and activists Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav.

Police did not immediately disclose how many people had been detained or provide details about their identities.

Bora accused authorities of restricting both voting rights and the right to protest, saying the removal of voters from electoral lists had raised serious concerns.

The Election Commission has not publicly responded to the protesters’ demand for Kumar to resign.

Friday’s demonstrations also saw police prevent protesters from gathering in parts of New Delhi. Several people were taken away in buses, while security was tightened around the protest area and some nearby metro stations were closed.

A police source said some of those detained on Friday were later released but faced charges for allegedly violating restrictions on large gatherings.

The dispute centres on a nationwide voter-verification exercise launched last year. Critics claim the process has resulted in millions of eligible voters being removed from electoral lists.

The Election Commission has defended the exercise, saying it is designed to eliminate duplicate, deceased and otherwise ineligible entries from voter records. On Friday, it also instructed officials to register newly eligible voters and restore the names of people who had been left off the rolls.