Thousands of people protested in New Delhi on Sunday (November 1), demanding the resignation of India's Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over a revision of voter lists, Reuters reported. The rally is the latest in more than a month of opposition demonstrations challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
What happened at the rally
Led by Congress Party leader Rahul Gandhi, protesters marched from central Delhi to the historic Ramlila Maidan ground as hundreds of security personnel, some carrying batons and shields, surrounded the venue. Authorities had tightened security and warned of traffic diversions beforehand. Speaking from the stage, Gandhi said Kumar would have to vacate his post and described the removal of names from voter rolls as an attack on every citizen's voice. Protesters say the revision benefits Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The dispute over voter rolls
According to Reuters, the revision removed more than 130 million names from the rolls, more than the population of Japan. Opposition parties allege that the deletions disproportionately affected Muslim voters and members of other minorities who are unlikely to support the BJP. The Election Commission says the aim is to update the lists by removing duplicate and ineligible voters. It has denied favouring any party and says wrongly deleted voters can re-enrol. One protester told Reuters that four members of her family were deleted because of a false record that they had moved away.
Government response
Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda called the protest a carefully orchestrated drama and a calculated conspiracy, while the BJP has accused rivals of undermining democracy by questioning legitimate electoral processes. The near-daily protests, involving opposition parties, student groups and a youth-led group, began in late September after the Indian Express reported that Kumar's two deputies had raised internal concerns about the revision.
The bigger picture
Reuters describes the protests as the worst crisis for Modi since he came to power in 2014, although his government remains stable and the next general election is not due until 2029.
Source: The Star (Reuters) - Thousands join Indian opposition protest demanding poll chief's resignation
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