Opposition Leaders Detained in Protests Against Election Commissioner
Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders were detained in New Delhi while protesting alleged voter fraud and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Opposition leaders and student activists have launched a series of protests in New Delhi demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The demonstrations center on allegations of systematic voter disenfranchisement and irregularities during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, which critics claim could affect 13 crore people.
On October 7, Delhi Police detained Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra during a protest near Jantar Mantar. This marked the third time in two days that Rahul Gandhi was detained. Police used lathi-charges to disperse crowds including members of the Indian Youth Congress and the National Students’ Union of India. Simultaneously, the Aam Aadmi Party staged a march toward the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer’s office, where leader Saurabh Bhardwaj characterized the deletion of nearly 50 lakh votes as "outright fraud."
The unrest follows a broader campaign starting September 25. Neha Bora, president of the All India Students' Association, reported that nearly 1,000 people were detained during an October 2 demonstration at Jantar Mantar. Protests have also extended to Mumbai, where the Cockroach Janata Party organized a rally on October 2.
While the INDIA bloc has launched a "Save Democracy" campaign to demand transparency, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Election Commission of India have denied all accusations of wrongdoing. The BJP has dismissed the protests as an attack on institutions by parties facing electoral losses.
