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.
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