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Thousands of people took to the streets of India’s capital, Delhi, on Nov. 1 to protest a controversial revision of voter rolls and demand the resignation of the country’s chief election commissioner. The demonstration, led by Congress Party leader Rahul Gandhi, was the latest in a series of protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, AnewZ reported.
Opposition groups say the changes could give Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) an unfair advantage. At the center of the dispute is the removal of more than 130 million names from voter lists — a figure exceeding Japan’s population. Opposition parties allege that Muslims and other minorities have been disproportionately affected.
Security was tightened in central Delhi as demonstrators marched toward Ramlila Maidan. Police and security forces, including personnel carrying shields and batons, surrounded the historic venue, where thousands had gathered.
Addressing the crowd, Gandhi called for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to step down. He described Kumar’s removal as the first step toward “putting the country back on the right track.”
Gandhi accused the authorities of depriving citizens of their democratic rights. “The cleansing of voter lists is the theft of the voice of every citizen of India,” he said.
Reena Mahto, a member of the Congress student wing, told Reuters that four of her relatives, who had long lived at the same address in the state of Chhattisgarh, had been removed from the list. “Suddenly, they have recorded us as having moved out of our own home,” she said, adding: “There must be accountability, and we are here to demand it.”
Another protester, Dinesh Singh, said he had joined the demonstration out of concern for future generations. “I want children to remember that we fought for their future,” he said.
The Election Commission says the verification process is intended to remove duplicate and invalid registrations. It rejects allegations of political bias and says people whose names were wrongly removed can apply to register again. The BJP, in turn, has accused opposition parties of weakening democratic institutions by challenging the election process.
Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda dismissed the protesters’ claims, calling the rally a “carefully staged spectacle.” He accused the opposition of using democracy as a pretext to create instability and described the demonstration as “a calculated conspiracy to push the country into anarchy.”
The protests began in late September and have involved opposition parties, student groups and the youth-founded Cockroach Janta Party. Demonstrations intensified after The Indian Express published reports about internal concerns raised by two deputy election commissioners over voter registration procedures, roll revisions and digital systems.
The demonstrations pose a serious test for Modi, who has been in power since 2014. His government remains stable, however, and India’s next general election is scheduled for 2029.
