Opposition bloc demands exit of India's election chief

The INDIA opposition alliance led a new demonstration in New Delhi on Sunday to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Tens of thousands of protesters, many carrying musical instruments and flags, gathered at Ramlila Maidan to challenge the central government. Rahul Gandhi, leader of the Congress party, addressed the crowd and called for Kumar to relinquish his post. He stated in Hindi that Kumar would eventually face imprisonment.

The protest followed a police crackdown in New Delhi weeks earlier. The alliance, formed in 2023, mobilized cadres from various states for the event. The demonstration took place at Ramlila Maidan after police removed Jantar Mantar from the list of official protest venues last month. Jantar Mantar had long served as the primary site for public dissent in the capital.

The dispute centers on a revision of voter rolls that has removed more than 130 million names since the previous year. Critics argue the process is politically motivated and disproportionately impacts minorities, particularly Muslims. They claim the revision threatens to disenfranchise millions. The Election Commission and the administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi deny these allegations. They state the goal is to eliminate duplicate and ineligible entries from the electoral records.

Authorities deployed thousands of police and paramilitary soldiers for the Sunday event. Officials reported extensive surveillance, including more than 200 security cameras, drones, and body-worn cameras at the venue and along the route. Human Rights Watch issued a statement on Thursday questioning the fairness of future elections. Elaine Pearson, the group's Asia director, urged authorities to scrap the revision process immediately.

Gandhi accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological parent of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, of tightening control over state institutions. He linked this grip to the denial of rights for farmers, laborers, and youth. The call for Kumar's resignation has become a central demand for the opposition and the youth-led Cockroach movement. This movement forced the resignation of the education minister in July, marking a rare setback for Modi, who has led the country for over 12 years.

Modi has not publicly commented on the demonstrations. Some of his party leaders have dismissed the protesters as anarchists and suggested foreign backing without providing evidence. Suresh Sharma, a protester from Haryana, said the system needed reform to prevent democracy from being throttled. He demanded that Kumar resign and be arrested. The opposition parties continue to press for the scrapping of the voter roll revision process.