India’s opposition demands election chief’s resignation — Al Jazeera
In India, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, together with dozens of members of parliament, protested in central New Delhi, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The Congress party, other opposition forces, student left-wing organizations and the Cockroach Janta Party joined the actions. This was reported by Al Jazeera.
Gandhi said that the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “turned the capital into a prison.” He also called for Kumar to be tried for treason and said that the opposition would not leave this unanswered.
Allegations concerning voter lists
For several months, opposition parties have said that the Election Commission is acting in the interests of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. They link these accusations to the revision and updating of voter lists in the states, which the commission has been carrying out since June last year. During this period, more than 130 million names were removed from the lists.
Critics claim that these actions disproportionately disenfranchised members of minorities and other vulnerable groups. The BJP rejects these accusations.
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Detentions and sudden actions
According to the outlet, security forces detain thousands of students every day, while allegations of mistreatment in custody intensify the atmosphere of fear in the capital. Opposition politicians also report harsh detentions of rally participants, including members of parliament.
Due to heightened security measures in central New Delhi, student activists are holding short, unannounced actions. Neha Bora, president of the All India Students’ Association, announces the protest location about 30 minutes before it begins in order to avoid police detentions. The Congress party, led by Gandhi, also organizes sudden rallies at undisclosed locations.
Political analyst Asim Ali believes that the protests are developing into a broader movement against the government and Modi. He noted that the authorities are unlikely to make concessions, while opposition parties may continue to become the main public force behind the protests.
