Opposition groups kept up protests seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, while Delhi police prepared for Sunday marches and the Supreme Court was set to hear related pleas on Monday.
Protests seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar continued into Sunday, with marches announced from India Gate toward Jantar Mantar. The Hindu reported that Delhi police detained about 150 people on 3 October, a second day of detentions.
Local reports said police deployed about 5,000 personnel, drones and barricades ahead of Sunday’s demonstrations. A citizens’ march was scheduled to start at India Gate at 15:00.
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi launched a digital platform called Satyagraha to map resistance movements, The Hindu reported, as opposition parties and civil society groups kept up the campaign.
The Indian Express reported that the Supreme Court is due on Monday to hear pleas seeking Kumar’s suspension and challenging decisions said to have been taken without the concurrence of the other two election commissioners. The petitions also ask the court to treat some guidelines and software changes as unauthorised.
By Sunday evening the Express reported that more than 25 Aam Aadmi Party workers had been detained during a protest at India Gate. The Election Commission’s response to the specific court pleas was not detailed in those reports.
People Sentiments Negative
- Opposition leaders and civil society groups continued public protests seeking the chief election commissioner’s removal.