India opposition parties protest, demand election chief's resignation

Opposition parties staged protests in India's capital on Tuesday (6 October), demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over controversial changes to voter lists, as hundreds of police personnel were deployed across central New Delhi.

The demonstration was the latest in a series of almost daily protests that began last week involving student groups, opposition parties and India's "Cockroach" youth movement.

Protesters accused the Election Commission of manipulating voter registrations to benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. The commission and the government have denied the allegations.

Security personnel, some carrying batons, stood behind barricades outside the Election Commission's office near Parliament. Authorities issued travel advisories for areas surrounding the planned demonstration and closed several roads.

India launched a Special Intensive Revision of voter lists in Bihar last year ahead of state elections. The exercise has since been expanded to most states and federally administered territories.

Critics say the process requires documents that are confusing and difficult for many people to obtain, raising concerns that millions of eligible voters could be excluded. Election Commission data indicates voter rolls could decline by as much as 30% in some areas.

The commission says the revision is intended to remove duplicate and ineligible entries while ensuring that eligible voters remain registered. Opposition parties and activists, however, argue that the process could disenfranchise legitimate voters.

The campaign against the Election Commission has been partly led by the "Cockroach" movement, which began online and calls itself the Cockroach Janata Party. Earlier street protests organized by the group contributed to the resignation of India's education minister in July.

Source: AP/UNB