Tens of thousands rally in Delhi to demand election chief's resignation

India’s political opposition regrouped on Sunday in New Delhi to press its case for the removal of the nation's top election official. Tens of thousands of supporters descended on the city, marking the latest public challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

The rally was organized by the INDIA alliance, a coalition formed in 2023 with the stated goal of unseating the current administration. Demonstrators, some carrying musical instruments and flags, gathered at Ramlila Maidan. They chanted slogans criticizing central government policies and demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The location was chosen after police removed Jantar Mantar, the historic observatory and traditional protest site, from the list of approved venues last month.

Rahul Gandhi, leader of the main opposition Congress party, addressed the crowd alongside the youth-led Cockroach movement. He argued that India has suffered from vote theft for years. Gandhi declared in Hindi that Kumar would have to relinquish his position and would eventually go to jail. He also accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological parent of the ruling BJP, of tightening its control over state institutions, including the education system and investigative agencies.

The central dispute involves an ongoing review of voter lists. The process has removed more than 130 million names since the start of the year. Critics argue the revision is politically motivated and disproportionately affects minority groups, particularly Muslims. They claim it threatens to disenfranchise millions. The Election Commission and Modi's administration maintain that the exercise is necessary to eliminate duplicate and ineligible entries.

Security forces deployed thousands of police and paramilitary personnel for the event. Officials reported that they set up extensive surveillance, using more than 200 security cameras, drones, and body-worn cameras along the protest route. The demonstration followed a police crackdown on protesters in New Delhi just weeks earlier.

Elaine Pearson, Asia director for Human Rights Watch, stated on Thursday that the situation raises serious questions about the fairness of future elections. The group urged authorities to scrap the revision process, which it said has denied marginalized people their right to vote. In July, similar protests led by the youth movement forced the resignation of the education minister, a rare setback for Modi, who has held power for more than 12 years.

Suresh Sharma, a protester from Haryana state, said the system needed reform because democracy was being throttled. He joined the crowd in demanding that Kumar resign and face arrest. Modi has not publicly commented on the protests, though some of his party leaders have dismissed the demonstrators as anarchists and suggested foreign backing without providing evidence.