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Indian police detained more than 2,000 protesters in Delhi on Saturday. The demonstrators were demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over controversial changes to voter rolls.
Thousands of police officers and paramilitary personnel were deployed across the capital. Mobile internet services were suspended in the central business district, while dozens of metro stations and markets were closed.
A rally planned at Jantar Mantar did not take place after security forces cordoned off the area. At other locations, protesters chanted slogans and called for accountability over changes to electoral records.
Protester Yogendra Solanki told Reuters as police took him away: “This violates people’s rights, and the country will no longer tolerate it.”
Youth movement leaders and politicians detained
According to information released by the movement, “Cockroach Janta Party” founder Abhijeet Dipke and senior members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained after disembarking from a flight from Mumbai to Delhi. Television footage showed Dipke arguing with police officers aboard the plane.
Dipke told the officers: “I have come to be arrested, so arrest me... I am not afraid of you.” The movement condemned the detentions and said it would continue its campaign. Local media reported that about 400 protesters were also detained in Mumbai.
Television news reports said several opposition figures had also been detained, including former chief ministers Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal and Pinarayi Vijayan.
Changes to voter rolls spark controversy
The protests followed allegations that revisions to voter lists may have given Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a disproportionate advantage.
According to Election Commission data, about 130 million voter records were removed from the rolls during the verification process. They included people listed as having moved elsewhere, people who could not be located and people reported dead.
Opposition parties allege that the deletions may have affected the results of recent state elections. The Election Commission says voters whose names were wrongly removed can register again. The BJP denies allegations of wrongdoing and accuses its rivals of spreading misinformation.
The dispute has heightened political tensions ahead of a series of important state elections due to begin in early 2027. Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition Congress Party, said the protests would continue, while senior BJP member Ravi Shankar Prasad accused its rivals of using street demonstrations for their own purposes.
The controversy over changes to voter lists has raised broader questions in India about electoral transparency and the right to protest. Opposition parties are seeking explanations for the changes.
