Thousands of people took to the streets of India's capital, Delhi, on Sunday, 1 November, calling for the resignation of the country's chief election commissioner over a controversial revision of voter lists.
The demonstration, led by opposition Congress Party leader Rahul Gandhi, was the latest in a series of protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.
Opposition groups claim the changes could unfairly benefit Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Security was tightened across central Delhi as protesters marched towards Ramlila Maidan, where thousands had gathered. Police and security personnel, some carrying shields and batons, surrounded the historic rally ground.
Addressing the crowd, Gandhi called for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to leave office, describing his removal as the first step towards putting the country “back on the right track”.
He accused the authorities of taking away citizens' democratic rights, saying: “The voter roll purge is the theft of the voice of every single citizen of India.”
The dispute centres on a revision that removed more than 130 million names from voter lists – a figure exceeding Japan's population. Opposition parties allege that Muslims and other minority communities were disproportionately affected.
Some demonstrators said the changes had directly affected their families.
Reena Mahto, a member of the Congress student wing, told Reuters that four relatives had been removed from the register despite continuing to live at their long-term address in Chhattisgarh.
“Now all of a sudden we have been marked as shifted from our own house,” she said, adding: “There should be accountability, and we are here to seek that.”
Another protester, Dinesh Singh, said he had joined the demonstration out of concern for future generations.
“I want the children to remember that we fought for their future,” he said.
The Election Commission maintains that the exercise is intended to remove duplicate and ineligible registrations. It denies political bias and says people wrongly removed can apply to be registered again.
The BJP has accused opposition parties of undermining democratic institutions by challenging the electoral process.
Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda rejected the protesters' claims, describing the rally as a “carefully orchestrated drama”.
He accused the opposition of using democracy as a pretext to create instability, calling the demonstration a “calculated conspiracy to plunge the nation into anarchy”.
The protests began in late September and have involved opposition parties, student groups and the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party. They intensified after The Indian Express reported that two deputy election commissioners had raised internal concerns about voter registration procedures, revisions and digital systems.
The growing demonstrations represent a significant challenge for Modi, who has been in power since 2014. However, his government remains stable, and India's next general election is not scheduled until 2029.
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