What is happening in India as opposition demands the chief election commissioner’s resignation

Delhi Police detained Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and several other opposition lawmakers after breaking up a protest demanding the resignation of India’s Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar.

The protest was held in Delhi on Tuesday over opposition allegations that voter lists had been altered under the guise of electoral roll revisions to benefit the ruling party.

Police moved in on the protesters in the evening and took several lawmakers away in vehicles. Congress later said Rahul Gandhi, his sister and fellow Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, along with others who had been detained, were released.

Delhi Police said the lawmakers were detained in accordance with the law to maintain public order and protect public safety.

Earlier on Tuesday morning, several dozen lawmakers led by Rahul Gandhi marched towards the headquarters of the Election Commission of India (ECI).

They later staged a sit-in on white mattresses under a tree in the compound of the state broadcaster’s office next to the ECI. The protesters called for the chief election commissioner’s resignation and demanded a direct meeting with election commissioners.

Rahul Gandhi said the election commissioners would eventually have to meet the protesters.

“We only want to go to the election commissioners, ask them questions, and tell them that you have stolen votes,” he said.

During the sit-in, Gandhi said the protesters would remain there for as long as necessary.

Opposition allegations over voter lists

Congress and other opposition parties have alleged that changes made during the revision of voter lists have benefited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Last month, Indian newspaper The Indian Express reported disagreements within the Election Commission over the updating of voter lists and registration procedures. Reuters was unable to independently verify the report.

The report fuelled further concerns among opposition parties about the neutrality of the Election Commission. They have also questioned the role of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, who was appointed by the Modi government.

The Election Commission and the ruling BJP have rejected the allegations.

BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi accused Congress lawmakers of misleading the country by making baseless claims about the Election Commission.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has not publicly commented on the allegations.

Standoff over meeting with Election Commission

During the protest, Rahul Gandhi said opposition lawmakers wanted to speak directly to the election commissioners and present their complaints and questions to them in person.

The Election Commission later said it received a request from the lawmakers for a meeting late on Tuesday.

However, the commission said the location proposed by the lawmakers was not in line with its established protocol.

The ECI offered to receive a memorandum through one of its officials, but the opposition lawmakers rejected the proposal, resulting in a standoff over the meeting.

Protest march in Delhi

Opposition lawmakers marched from the Parliament area towards the Election Commission headquarters on Tuesday.

During the march, which covered about one kilometre, protesters carried placards, waved the Indian national flag and shouted slogans against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Some placards described Kumar as a “traitor” and accused the BJP of taking away people’s right to vote.

When the protesters reached the area outside the Election Commission’s office, they sat on the road and demanded to meet Kumar.

Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several other lawmakers stood on police barricades, waving the national flag and calling for the chief election commissioner’s resignation.

A large number of security personnel were deployed in the area. Some were wearing riot-control gear and carrying batons.

Security personnel prevented Rahul Gandhi and other lawmakers from entering the Election Commission’s office.

Gandhi claimed that around 300 lawmakers had taken part in the protest, although the figure could not be independently verified by Reuters.

Kharge accuses Election Commission of being a government ‘puppet’

At the start of the march, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge levelled strong accusations against the Election Commission.

He said the commission had become a “puppet” in the hands of the government and said Congress and other opposition parties were fighting to protect democracy.

The BJP rejected the allegations.

BJP leaders accused Congress of making baseless claims about the Election Commission and attempting to create political tension.

Part of a series of protests

Tuesday’s protest and detentions were the latest in a series of demonstrations that have taken place over the past several days.

Since last week, student organisations, opposition political parties and members of the “Cockroach” youth movement have held protests in several parts of India, demanding changes to the voter-list revision process and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Similar protests have previously been held in Delhi and Mumbai. Some demonstrations have involved attempts to breach police barricades, followed by the detention of protesters.

Protesters allege that the nationwide voter verification and electoral-roll revision process, which began last year, has resulted in large numbers of eligible voters being removed from the rolls. They argue that this could benefit the ruling BJP.

The Election Commission, however, says the process is intended to remove duplicate entries, the names of deceased people and those who are not eligible to vote, while improving the accuracy of electoral rolls.

The commission has also recently directed officials to add eligible voters who were mistakenly left off the rolls.

Growing political pressure on the Modi government

The opposition campaign has created additional political pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government midway through his third term.

Several months earlier, Modi’s education minister resigned following widespread student protests over allegations involving examination paper leaks.

The latest dispute over electoral-roll revisions has therefore developed into a broader political debate over India’s electoral system, the integrity of voter lists and the independence of the Election Commission.

Opposition parties continue to allege that irregularities in the voter-list revision process could benefit the ruling party. The Election Commission and the BJP have rejected those allegations.

The dispute is now putting the Election Commission, voter registration procedures and the broader question of electoral neutrality at the centre of a growing political confrontation in India.

Reuters