In brief
Opposition parties, led by Congress veteran Rahul Gandhi, converged on Delhi’s Supreme Court to demand the resignation of Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged voter‑roll tampering favouring the ruling BJP. The protest, heavily monitored by police and paramilitaries, saw large crowds, detentions of protesters and journalists, and footage of officers forcibly capturing demonstrators. Rahul’s letter to Chief Justice Surya Kant sets the stage for a legal challenge, while the BJP and the Election Commission deny the claims. Media organisations have condemned the arrests and the use of force, raising concerns about press freedom and democratic norms in India.
Opposition rally in Delhi demands resignation of election chief amid voter fraud allegations
Thousands of opposition supporters gathered on Barakhamba Road in central Delhi to march on the Supreme Court building, filing demands that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar step down over claims that election rolls are being manipulated to benefit the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
The protest, led by Congress veteran Rahul Gandhi and joined by parties across the opposition spectrum, comes after the CJP’s group accused the commissioner of “obviously” favouring the BJP in the latest electoral‑roll revision, allegations that the Election Commission and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party have swiftly rejected.
Gandhi says the opposition will submit a memorandum to Chief Justice Surya Kant, but the justice has declined a meeting, citing “certain reasons.” The lawyer‑judge later explained that some of the matters the opposition wanted to raise were already pending in the court.
The march was tightly monitored – traffic was shut down at key intersections, metro stations were closed for hours, and police and paramilitary units were spread along the route, according to the Delhi police. On the road, a bus carrying Gandhi and his aides passed the line of demonstrators, triggering cheers and chants from the crowd.
Earlier this week the CJP group staged a confrontation that left dozens of protesters, journalists and even a student leader, Neha Bora, detained before being released the following day. Video footage taken by reporters shows officers pulling men and women into buses, with at least one policeman slapping a detained protester in front of camera lenses.
Reporters Without Borders condemned the arrests, calling them “unacceptable” and a threat to press freedom. The BJP’s president, Nitin Nabin, accused the opposition of destabilising India “at the behest of foreign forces,” a claim that remains unsubstantiated.
For the opposition, the demand is clear – a clean roll, a fair election and the removal of the election chief who they say is compromising India’s democratic institutions. The supreme court chair will decide whether to entertain the writ or stand by the current electoral framework.
