Indian police detained more than 2,000 protesters in Delhi on Saturday as authorities blocked a planned demonstration calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over disputed changes to voter lists.
Thousands of police and paramilitary personnel were deployed across the capital, while mobile internet services were suspended in the central business district and dozens of metro stations and markets were closed. The planned rally at Jantar Mantar was prevented from taking place after security forces sealed off the area.
Protests broke out at other locations, with demonstrators chanting slogans and demanding accountability over the changes to electoral records.
“This is violating the rights of the people and the country will not tolerate this anymore,” protester Yogendra Solanki told Reuters as police escorted him away.
Police detained Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, alongside senior members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka after their flight from Mumbai arrived in Delhi, the movement said.
Footage broadcast on television showed Dipke confronting officers on board the aircraft.
“I have come to be arrested, arrest me ... I am not afraid of you guys,” he said.
The movement condemned the detentions and vowed to continue its campaign. Local media also reported that about 400 protesters were detained in Mumbai.
Several opposition figures, including former chief ministers Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal and Pinarayi Vijayan, were also detained, according to television reports.
The demonstrations follow allegations that revisions to electoral rolls may have disproportionately benefited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Election Commission data show that around 130 million voter entries were removed during a verification exercise. These included people recorded as having moved, individuals who could not be traced and those reported to have died.
Opposition parties argue that the deletions may have affected recent state election results. The Election Commission says eligible voters whose names were incorrectly removed can re-enrol, while the BJP denies wrongdoing and accuses its opponents of spreading misinformation.
The dispute has added to political tensions ahead of a series of important state elections beginning in early 2027.
Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition Congress party, has said the opposition will continue its challenge, while senior BJP member Ravi Shankar Prasad accused political rivals of using street protests to further their agenda.
The controversy raises wider questions about electoral transparency and the right to protest in India, the world’s largest democracy, as opposition parties demand answers over the changes to voter registration.
Indian police detained more than 2,000 protesters in Delhi on Saturday as authorities blocked a planned demonstration calling for the resignation o...
A powerful explosion has been reported at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, raising fresh concerns over aviation security in Saudi Arabi...
At least 12 people, including three children, have been killed in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, a day after U.S. Presiden...
Leaders of countries from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have agreed to hold coordinated population censuses around 2030. They took the decision at the CIS Council of Heads of State meeting in Awaza, Turkmenistan on Friday, media reported.
Britain and Israel have reached a temporary compromise over the future of the British Consulate General in East Jerusalem, easing a diplomatic dispute that had threatened to further strain relations between the two countries.
A powerful explosion has been reported at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, raising fresh concerns over aviation security in Saudi Arabia as tensions across the region continue to escalate.
South African judge Navanethem “Navi” Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday “for her efforts to promote peace and international law,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said.
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday (9 October) escalating tensions with European allies and potentially targeting companies that provide services to the tribunal. The move came hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize.
At least 12 people, including three children, have been killed in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a deal to ease sanctions on Russian diesel.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticised U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel exports, questioning why Moscow was granted an economic benefit without an apparent concession towards ending the war in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed surprise after Donald Trump mediated the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement in 2025, the U.S. President said at a rally in New York state on Friday.
The United Nations has condemned a sharp rise in attacks on civilians in Ukraine, reporting that more than 100 people were killed and at least 429 injured in a single week as Russian strikes hit residential areas, passenger buses and critical infrastructure.
Air quality in Singapore plunged to “very unhealthy” levels on Friday, 9 October, as thick haze engulfed the city-state ahead of Sunday's Formula One Grand Prix, while Max Verstappen claimed pole position for Saturday's Sprint race.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment