New Delhi park closed ahead of protest demanding election chief's resignation — Dawn
In India’s capital, New Delhi, Central Park was closed on October 16 ahead of a planned protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Municipal authorities said the park would be shut for two days for “administrative” reasons. According to Dawn, police also banned public gatherings near Connaught Place, citing public order and security concerns.
Protest over electoral rolls
The rally was organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Its founder, Abhijit Dipke, called on supporters to gather in Central Park after two of his associates were detained for breaching police barricades at Jantar Mantar. According to the source, they had gone there to wave India’s national flag.
Earlier this week, police revoked permission to use Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site. On Friday, thousands of security personnel were deployed in certain parts of the capital, while yellow metal barricades were installed at key intersections. Police warned that violating the restrictions could lead to legal action, while stating that they would allow “selected individuals” to gather at an appropriate location.
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Dispute over registers
The protests are linked to a large-scale revision of electoral rolls being carried out under Gyanesh Kumar’s leadership. Media reports say that more than 130 million names have been removed from the registers as part of the procedure. Critics argue that this has disproportionately affected minorities, including Muslims.
India’s election authorities deny wrongdoing and say the revision was intended to remove duplicates, records of deceased people, and fraudulent entries. Representatives of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party have previously claimed that many undocumented Muslim migrants from Bangladesh had allegedly been fraudulently added to electoral rolls.
India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh rejected the opposition’s accusations. He said its aim was to destroy democratic institutions and create unrest in the country, and described the actions of opposition parties as a conspiracy to seize power by creating anarchy.
