London Turns Into Political Battleground – “Stop Vote Chori” Protest Against Modi Government Clashes With “Modi, Modi” Counter-Protest At Parliament Square And Indian High Commission

The British capital London has become the centre of Indian politics over the last three days as two rival protests – one against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Election Commissioner and the other in support of Modi – faced off at Parliament Square and outside the Indian High Commission.

*DAY 1 – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16 – OUTSIDE INDIAN HIGH COMMISSION, LONDON:*

Members of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), Students Federation of India – UK (SFI-UK) and Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) activists staged a protest demanding the resignation of *Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar* and withdrawal of *Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.*

They alleged that names of lakhs of voters are being deleted from electoral rolls in the name of SIR, which they termed as “Vote Chori”.

Within hours, members of the *Indian Diaspora in London (ID UK)* staged a counter-protest in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Holding the Tricolour and large cutouts of PM Modi, they raised slogans of *”Modi Modi, Bharat Mata Ki Jai”.* They said they had gathered to defend the country and counter those defaming India abroad.

*DAY 2 – SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17 – PARLIAMENT SQUARE, AT MAHATMA GANDHI STATUE – BIGGEST FACE-OFF:*

The biggest confrontation took place on Saturday afternoon at *Mahatma Gandhi statue at Parliament Square.*

*Protest 1 – “Stop Vote Chori”:*
– Organized by Indian Overseas Congress Youth Wing, supported by Save Democracy, SFI-UK and South Asia Solidarity Group.
– Hundreds gathered, shouting slogans *”Inquilab Zindabad, Vande Mataram, RSS Se Azadi, Modi-Shah Se Azadi, Jai Bhim”* and reading the Preamble of the Constitution of India.
– *Keynote speaker: YouTuber and activist Dhruv Rathee*, who specially travelled from India to London. Addressing in Hindi, he said: “We don’t want any foreign interference. I am here at Parliament Square to address Indians and NRIs. It is important to spread the message against vote chori in our country. These protests will stop the moment the Chief Election Commissioner is replaced by a candidate chosen in agreement between government and Leader of Opposition.”

*Protest 2 – Counter-Protest “Modi, Modi”:*
– On the call of ID UK, Modi supporters gathered across the Gandhi statue.
– They chanted “Modi Modi” continuously to drown out the other group’s slogans.
– Metropolitan Police officers kept both groups separated by creating a buffer zone. The face-off got heated as each side tried to overpower the other with loudspeakers.

*BACKGROUND – WHAT IS HAPPENING IN INDIA:*

This London protest is an extension of the political crisis in India:

– The Opposition INDIA alliance has been protesting against the Election Commission’s *SIR exercise.* The Commission says SIR is a routine exercise to remove dead, duplicate, shifted and ineligible voters to clean the rolls. Opposition alleges it is being used to delete its voters.
– On *October 16 in New Delhi*, Delhi Police detained around *150 demonstrators during “Lehra Do Tiranga” rally at Central Park, Connaught Place.* Among those detained was CJP activist Abhijeet Dipke. Police imposed Section 163 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which prohibits assembly of five or more persons in New Delhi district, and served preventive detention notices.
– AAP workers also took out a separate Tiranga rally protesting against Election Commission.
– Business community members in London said such protests create unnecessary fear and affect investor confidence at a time when India-UK Free Trade Agreement has opened new export opportunities.

*SECURITY SITUATION:*

London Metropolitan Police maintained heavy presence at both locations to prevent clash. No arrests were reported in London protests, unlike Delhi where 150 were detained.

The protests in London highlight how Indian domestic political battle over electoral rolls and Election Commission has now reached overseas diaspora, turning Parliament Square into a battleground of “Stop Vote Chori” versus “Modi Modi”.