Protests Erupt Across India Over Voter Roll Purges
Protesters in Delhi and Mumbai demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar after 130 million people were removed from electoral rolls.
Nationwide protests have erupted in India, centered in Delhi and Mumbai, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The SIR process removed 130 million people from the electoral register, leading former Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa and opposition leaders to claim the purge was designed to benefit the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
In New Delhi, authorities launched a massive security crackdown, shutting 45 metro stations, canceling 245 trains, and cutting internet services. Police detained high-profile figures including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Tushar Gandhi, while reports emerged of activists and journalists being beaten. The Bharatiya Janata Party defended these actions, with spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad stating that the country would be governed by parliament rather than the streets.
Demonstrators have responded by using flash protests and digital coordination to bypass security cordons. Volunteers established a WhatsApp network and digital dashboard to track police vehicles and coordinate medical aid for detainees. To evade facial recognition and surveillance, protesters have worn Batman masks and used makeup to distort their features, a tactic encouraged by actress Richa Chadha. The Kerelam assembly has since passed a resolution seeking the removal of Kumar.
