Thousands of people gathered in Delhi on Sunday to demand the resignation of India’s chief election commissioner over a controversial revision of voter lists, extending more than a month of opposition protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
Led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the demonstrators allege that the revision benefits Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Analysts say the protests and growing support for the opposition represent one of the biggest challenges Modi has faced since taking office in 2014. However, his government remains stable, and the next general election is not due until 2029.
Authorities tightened security and announced traffic diversions before protesters began marching from central Delhi towards the designated rally site. Opposition leaders had predicted that hundreds of thousands of people would attend the gathering.
Hundreds of security personnel, some carrying batons and shields, surrounded the historic Ramlila Maidan. Riot-control vehicles were also deployed as demonstrators carrying national and party flags gathered at the venue.
Opposition leaders led the march in an open-top jeep.
Among those waiting at Ramlila Maidan was Reena Mahto, a member of the Congress student wing. She told Reuters that four members of her family had been removed from the voter list on the claim that they had moved elsewhere.
Mahto said her family had lived in Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh for years but had suddenly been marked as having shifted from their home.
“There should be accountability, and we are here to seek that,” she said.
Another protester, Dinesh Singh, said he had joined the demonstration to protect his children’s future.
“I am not affiliated with any political party. I am here for a cause. I want the children to remember that we fought for their future,” he said.
The Election Commission has denied favouring any political party. It has said voters whose names were wrongly deleted can register again.
The BJP, meanwhile, accused opposition parties of undermining democracy by questioning legitimate electoral procedures.
Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda described the demonstration as a “carefully orchestrated drama”.
“What is unfolding today at Ramlila Maidan is not an act of respect for democracy. It is a calculated conspiracy to plunge the nation into anarchy, all in the name of democracy,” he told news agency ANI.
Sunday’s gathering was the latest in a series of near-daily demonstrations organised by opposition parties, student groups and the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party since late September. Protesters have called for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign.
The demonstrations began after The Indian Express reported that Kumar’s two deputies had raised internal concerns about voter-list revisions, registration procedures and digital systems.
The revision process, which began last year, removed more than 130 million names from voter lists, according to the report. The deleted entries included 28 million people recorded as deceased, 63 million who had relocated and 30 million who could not be traced.
Opposition parties allege that the deletions disproportionately affect Muslim voters and other minorities, who are less likely to support the ruling BJP. The Election Commission and the party have rejected the allegations.
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