India: Police detained scores of protesters, including Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke, in New Delhi on Saturday as authorities tightened security ahead of a demonstration demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over voter-list revisions.
According to Reuters, CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were also detained after arriving in Delhi. Police detained around 200 protesters in the capital, while a police spokesperson said those detained outside Delhi included YouTube personality Dhruv Rathee, who supports the protest.
Authorities imposed restrictions on movement, suspended mobile internet services and shut metro stations and markets in affected areas. Security personnel established barricades and conducted vehicle checks to prevent demonstrators from gathering.
The CJP had planned to hold the protest at Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site in central Delhi, at 10am on Saturday. Police said permission had not been granted and warned that anyone violating the restrictions would face legal action.
Why Are Protesters Demanding the Election Chief’s Resignation?
The demonstration, organised under the slogan “Save Democracy”, centres on allegations that revisions to voter lists could benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The protests followed a report by The Indian Express that officials working under Kumar had raised questions about aspects of the voter-list revision process. Opposition parties have alleged that voter deletions affected the results of recent state elections, claims denied by the BJP and the Election Commission.
What Does the Election Commission Say About Voter Deletions?
Election Commission data cited by the BJP indicates that approximately 130 million names were flagged for deletion during the voter-verification exercise. The figures include entries associated with people who had relocated, could not be traced or had died.
The Election Commission has maintained that the figures relate to the draft revision stage and that the process is not yet complete. It has also said voters whose names were incorrectly removed can apply for re-enrolment.
The BJP has rejected allegations of electoral manipulation, arguing that its electoral success reflects public support for Modi and the government’s economic record. Opposition parties and CJP leaders have maintained their objections to the revision process and said the protest is a fundamental democratic right.
The demonstrations come months before several state elections scheduled to begin in early 2027, including elections in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state.