NEW DELHI: Thousands of protesters marched in New Delhi on Monday demanding the resignation of India’s election chief over alleged misconduct during a voter roll revision, the latest showdown with authorities in the heavily fortified capital.
Opposition parties and supporters of the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party protest movement have taken to the streets in recent days, defying a strict security clampdown to demand a halt to the revision exercise and the resignation of the chief election commissioner.
“You can see how big the crowd is,” demonstrator Abhay Aryan, 28, told AFP as protesters marched towards the Supreme Court, chanting slogans and waving placards.
“The government has to listen to the voice of the people.”
Critics say the large-scale revision of electoral lists could benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
The Election Commission of India, which oversees the voting process in the world’s most populous nation, has denied wrongdoing.
A protester who gave his name as Mehvaish said he could no longer “tolerate the injustices” meted out by Modi’s government.
“We want removal of this government (because) of all the injustices we have suffered in the past 12-13 years,” he said.
“Now if they take away our right to vote, what is left with us?”
Rights advocates and critics say Modi’s government has eroded democratic freedoms during more than a decade in power, citing pressure on journalists, civil society groups and political opponents — allegations the government rejects.
Authorities deployed thousands of security personnel across central Delhi for a third straight day, erecting heavy metal barricades and closing key metro stations.
The protests on Monday were led by Rahul Gandhi of the main opposition Congress party, who waved a copy of the constitution as crowds cheered during the procession to the Supreme Court.
He later filed a writ petition in the court through his lawyer, challenging the voter revision exercise.
Public attention has also focused on the police response, after a chaotic weekend in which thousands of protesters including organisers were detained, according to local media reports.
Most of those detained, including three top leaders of the “cockroach” movement, have since been released.
Opposition figures have accused authorities of trying to suppress dissent through mass detentions.
Parliamentarian John Brittas of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) alleged he was “manhandled, dragged, assaulted” by police during Sunday’s demonstrations.
“This is not merely an assault on an MP. It is an assault on democratic freedoms and the rule of law,” Brittas said.