OMM Newsroom
Protests organized by student groups, opposition organizations and young people in the Indian cities of Patna and Mumbai called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The demonstrations, held on Friday, October 16, came amid controversy over revisions to voter lists.
Critics say the changes to the voter lists favor Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). More than 130 million people were removed from the lists during the revision.
India’s Election Commission has denied favoring any political party and said voters mistakenly removed from the lists can register again. The BJP, meanwhile, has accused opposition parties of harming democracy by challenging lawful electoral processes.
Clashes between protesters and police in Patna
Members and supporters of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) raised flags and chanted slogans as they advanced toward police barricades in Patna.
Clashes broke out as police forced demonstrators to retreat, and several protesters were detained.
One protester accused the government of creating an undeclared state of emergency and arresting political leaders. The protester said they would continue demonstrations until Kumar resigned.
Protests against the voter-list revision have been held almost daily for weeks this month.
Youth-led party holds protest in Mumbai
Members and supporters of the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) joined the protests in Mumbai, raising Indian flags.
Party founder Abhijeet Dipke said the demonstration was held in support of two CJP leaders who had been detained earlier in the week and spent five days in jail after protesting in an area where demonstrations were banned.
The CJP and left-wing student groups called on supporters to gather on Friday evening at Central Park in New Delhi’s Connaught Place and raise India’s national flag.
