In brief
In a dramatic protest, Delhi police detained several opposition MPs – including Rahul Gandhi – as they marched toward the Election Commission headquarters demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar step down. The sit‑in, part of a wider backlash against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) that has removed over 130 million names from voter lists, sparked intense debate over alleged electoral favouritism for the ruling BJP. The Supreme Court has been called to examine whether Kumar acted unilaterally in pushing the revision. With 237 MPs reportedly involved, the protests are set to intensify as the opposition seeks a clean, paper‑ballot election.
Opposition MPs Detained in Delhi Protest
Police in Delhi stopped a march of opposition lawmakers that aimed to pressure Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar to resign. Rahul Gandhi and other Congress MPs were put into a police bus and released shortly after, only to resume their sit‑in near the Election Commission headquarters.
The protest follows a widespread boycott of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) voter‑roll update, which has lifted more than 130 million names from the national voter list. Critics claim the revision may unfairly favor the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The CEC amid the backlash faces a Supreme Court petition that questions whether he acted without unanimous approval of the two other election commissioners. The court has asked both the federal government and the Election Commission to explain the decision‑making process.
According to opposition leaders, 237 MPs from different parties joined the march. The protests, sparked by a Gen‑Z satirical movement called the Cockroach Janta Party, are expected to grow on 10 October.
While the CEC maintains that revisions are necessary to clean up duplicate or ineligible names, opposition parties demand a rollback to paper ballots and a complete audit of the roll changes.
