India detains protesters demanding election chief resignation

Indian police detained dozens of youth protestors in New Delhi on Saturday during the second consecutive day of demonstrations demanding the chief election commissioner’s resignation over alleged voter-roll irregularities.

The demonstrations have been backed by key opposition parties, including the popular Gen Z-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) online movement, who say voter-roll changes give an advantage to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

There was a heavy police presence around Jantar Mantar, a government-designated protest site in the heart of New Delhi, which remained sealed off behind police barricades on Saturday.

Local media reports said over 100 protestors demanding Election Commission of India (ECI) chief Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation were detained.

“Delhi Police must stop its crackdown on protesting students and activists,” CJP chief Abhijeet Dipke said in a social media post on Saturday.

Dipke’s CJP has called for a “massive mobilisation of young Indians” in New Delhi on October 10. Other opposition parties and activists have also backed protest call.

“Every attempt to suppress peaceful protesters will only bring more people to the streets and strengthen the march to Jantar Mantar,” Dipke added. “Dissent is a democratic right. It cannot be crushed through intimidation or force”.

Delhi police did not comment on the reported detentions.

But police in a statement Saturday afternoon warned that “unauthorised gatherings, public speeches, shouting of slogans, processions, demonstrations, dharnas and other specified activities are prohibited” around Jantar Mantar.

“No permission has been granted for any protest scheduled for today… nor has any prior intimation regarding any such protest been received by New Delhi District Police,” police said.

‘Peaceful dissent’

A newspaper investigation by The Indian Express last month alleged impropriety during a large-scale voter-roll revision that has struck millions of names from lists.

The ECI, India’s constitutional body responsible for conducting elections, has rejected allegations of wrongdoing, while Kumar has not commented.

On Friday, hundreds of protestors gathered on roads around Jantar Mantar and in Mumbai’s Shivaji Park.

Opposition parties have announced plans for more protests, including a march to the Election Commission in New Delhi on Tuesday and “Save Democracy” rallies countrywide in the days following.

“If a designated protest site cannot accommodate peaceful dissent, where does democracy leave room for protest?,” anti-government activist Yogendra Yadav said.