Protesters Demand Resignation of India's Election Commission Chief
Opposition leaders and activists are protesting in New Delhi and Mumbai over alleged voter-roll manipulation and sexual harassment by police officers.
Protesters and opposition politicians have rallied for three consecutive days in New Delhi and Mumbai demanding the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar, the chief of the Election Commission of India. The demonstrations center on allegations that a large-scale voter-roll revision removed millions of names from electoral lists to benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party. While the Election Commission of India has rejected these claims, the Cockroach Janta Party and other opposition leaders continue to push for Kumar's removal.
In New Delhi, the Delhi Police deployed 5,000 personnel, including the Rapid Action Force and paramilitary forces, to manage marches from India Gate to Jantar Mantar on October 4. Despite denying official permission for the events, police utilized drone surveillance, CCTV, and multi-layered barricading to control the crowds. The police have since registered three FIRs against protesters.
Simultaneously, the Delhi Police launched an investigation into sexual harassment allegations made by three female journalists and protesters against officers during Saturday's demonstrations at Jantar Mantar. The Cockroach Janta Party has demanded the immediate arrest of the accused officers. Further escalations are planned, including a march to the Election Commission on Tuesday and a massive youth mobilization in New Delhi scheduled for October 10.
