Over 700 detained in India protest demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation
Opposition parties and student groups accuse the Election Commission of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
Indian police detained more than 700 people, including Aam Aadmi Party leaders and activists and members of various student organisations, during a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and surrounding areas today (2 October), demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Prohibitory orders were imposed and additional security personnel deployed to prevent unauthorised gatherings at the site, officials said.
Opposition parties and student groups were protesting to press for Gyanesh's resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the mass deletion of voters.
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According to the protesters, the Election Commission manipulated voter rolls in ways that favour Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Election Commission has denied the allegations, maintaining that the SIR exercise is aimed at removing duplicate, deceased, or otherwise ineligible voters.
Meanwhile, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has planned a demonstration in Mumbai and said it would expand its protests nationwide in the coming days.
