Protests grow in India over demands for election chief to resign

Thousands of protesters took to the streets of New Delhi and Mumbai on Sunday, demanding the resignation of India’s Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over changes to electoral rolls.

The demonstrations entered a third consecutive day as police detained several protesters in the capital. Opposition leaders also joined the protests, intensifying pressure on the Election Commission over the voter-list revision process.

In Mumbai, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray led demonstrations. They called for the voter-roll revisions to be withdrawn and demanded Kumar step down from his position.

Protesters allege that the nationwide revision of electoral rolls has removed millions of eligible voters and could benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. The Election Commission and the BJP have rejected the allegations.

In New Delhi, demonstrators gathered in the evening despite restrictions on public assemblies. Some protesters confronted police and breached barricades as authorities moved detained demonstrators away in vehicles.

A number of protesters were taken into custody over the past three days. Some were later released, while police also registered cases against some demonstrators for allegedly violating restrictions on large gatherings in central Delhi.

The Election Commission has defended the voter-roll revision, saying the process is aimed at removing duplicate, deceased and otherwise ineligible entries. The commission also instructed officials to add eligible voters who may have been left out of the rolls unintentionally.

Kumar has not publicly responded to calls for his resignation. However, the protests are expected to continue as opposition parties prepare for further demonstrations.

An alliance of opposition parties plans to march towards the Election Commission’s office on Tuesday under a campaign focused on protecting democracy. Separately, the Gen Z Cockroach Janta Party has announced a major rally in Delhi for October 10.

The protests mark another major challenge from youth and opposition groups to Modi’s government. Earlier this year, student demonstrations over a medical entrance examination paper leak contributed to the removal of the federal education minister, creating one of the biggest political crises of Modi’s third term.