India's opposition parties march to top court as protests over voter lists escalate
Opposition lawmakers and thousands of supporters marched in New Delhi on Monday and submitted a petition to the chief justice. They allege irregularities in a nationwide voter-list revision and want Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign.
The revision began last year and has removed more than 130 million names, according to the article. Critics say the process could exclude eligible voters and is politically motivated. The Bharatiya Janata Party and Election Commission reject claims of manipulation, saying the changes remove duplicate and ineligible entries.
The demonstrations include the “Cockroach” youth movement. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi joined the march, presenting it as a defense of the constitution and seeking to broaden opposition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The march followed weekend detentions of thousands of activists, movement leaders and journalists. Authorities also closed six metro stations on Monday and warned of traffic disruption.
New Delhi police said Jantar Mantar would no longer be an authorized rally site and named three replacement locations. Modi has not commented publicly; some ruling-party leaders have dismissed the protesters.
Key points
- Opposition groups petitioned the chief justice over alleged problems in the voter-list revision.
- Authorities say the revision removes duplicate and ineligible names; critics warn eligible voters may be excluded.
- Police detained thousands over the weekend and designated three new rally sites.