Thousands of protesters marched in New Delhi to demand the resignation of India's Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging irregularities in a voter roll revision. Monday's march was the latest in a series of confrontations between demonstrators and authorities in the heavily policed capital.
According to local media, more than 133 million names have been removed from voter rolls since last year. In the 2024 general election, India had about 969 million eligible voters.
Opposition parties and supporters of a youth-led protest movement called the Cockroach Janta Party have taken to the streets in recent days, defying security restrictions, to protest the removals and demand the election commissioner's resignation.
Critics argue the large-scale voter roll revision could benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). They also say the measure disproportionately affects minority groups, particularly Muslims.
India's Election Commission, which oversees voting in the world's most populous nation, denies any wrongdoing. It says the revision is aimed at removing duplicate names, deceased voters and fraudulent entries.
Authorities have deployed thousands of security personnel across central Delhi for a third consecutive day, erecting heavy metal barricades and closing some key metro stations.
Public attention has also focused on the police response, after thousands of protesters, including organisers, were detained over the weekend according to local media. Most of those detained, including three senior leaders of the Cockroach movement, were later released.
Some journalists reporting on the protests said they were also detained despite clearly presenting their press credentials.
The protests are becoming a major political challenge for Prime Minister Modi, bringing together multiple opposition parties, student groups and activists angered by the voter roll revision.
