Indian Police Detain Protesters in Delhi Over Voter Roll Changes

Indian police detained several people in New Delhi on Saturday as protests against changes to voter rolls entered a second day. The demonstrations, backed by the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party and opposition groups, called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Around 100 protesters reportedly removed security barricades before police intervened.

Protesters allege that the voter-verification exercise has resulted in eligible voters being removed from electoral rolls and could benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party. The Election Commission has defended the exercise, saying it is aimed at removing duplicate, deceased and otherwise ineligible voters. Kumar has not commented on the protests or calls for his resignation.

Police had also detained protesters on Friday, with some later charged over alleged violations of restrictions on mass gatherings in Delhi. The Election Commission has since directed officials to register newly eligible voters and those omitted from the electoral rolls, while the protests and political dispute over the voter-verification process continue.

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