Rahul Gandhi leads opposition march in Delhi to demand electoral chief's resignation

Opposition parties in India renewed their demand for the resignation of the country's electoral chief on Sunday. The INDIA alliance, which formed in 2023 to challenge the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, organized a new demonstration in New Delhi. This action marks a fresh display of public dissent against the ruling administration just weeks after police crackdowns in the capital.

Thousands of demonstrators gathered at Ramlila Maidan, a large public square in New Delhi. Many participants carried musical instruments and waved various flags while chanting slogans against central government policies. The INDIA bloc mobilized activists from multiple states for the event. The location was chosen after police removed Jantar Mantar from the list of officially designated protest sites last month. The historic observatory had long served as the primary protest venue in the capital.

Rahul Gandhi, leader of the main opposition Congress party, headed the group. He was joined by supporters of the Janta Dal, a youth movement often referred to by the nickname Cockroach. The protesters called for the protection of India's democracy and demanded the resignation of Chief Electoral Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Their grievance centers on a controversial review of the electoral roll.

Authorities deployed thousands of police officers and paramilitary soldiers for the demonstration. A wide surveillance operation included more than 200 security cameras, drones, and body cameras positioned at the site and along the protest route, officials indicated.

The ongoing revision of voter lists has removed more than 130 million names since last year. Critics argue the exercise has political motivations and threatens to strip the right to vote from millions more. They claim the process has disproportionately affected minority groups, particularly Muslims.

The Election Commission and the Modi government deny these accusations. They state that the review aims to eliminate duplicate and ineligible records.

Human Rights Watch issued a report on Thursday stating that the allegations regarding the electoral roll review raise serious doubts about the impartiality of future elections in India. Elaine Pearson, the group's Asia director, said in a statement that authorities should immediately stop the review process. She noted that the process has denied the most marginalized people in India their right to vote and other government services.

The call for Kumar's resignation has served as a mobilization slogan for opposition parties and Janta Dal sympathizers for weeks. They use it to challenge Modi's nationalist Bharatiya Janata party. Modi has not commented publicly on the protests. Some leaders in his party have dismissed the demonstrators as anarchists and suggested, without providing evidence, that they have the backing of foreign powers.

The Janta Dal movement forced the resignation of Modi's Education Minister in July. This was an unusual setback for Modi, who has held power for more than 12 years. The movement began as a satirical online campaign this summer after the Chief Justice of India compared young unemployed people to insects.