Thousands of protesters in Mumbai and New Delhi demanded that Election Commission chief Gyanesh Kumar resign, alleging a voter-roll revision removed eligible voters. The commission and the BJP deny the claim.
Thousands of youth and opposition supporters rallied for a third day in India demanding the resignation of Election Commission chief Gyanesh Kumar, Al Jazeera reported, citing Reuters and AFP. Demonstrations were held in Mumbai and New Delhi.
Protesters say a revision of voter rolls has removed millions of eligible voters in a way that would benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party. Both the Election Commission and the BJP have denied the allegations, Al Jazeera wrote.
In Mumbai, marches were led by opposition leaders Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray, with participants waving Indian flags and calling for Kumar to step down. In New Delhi, protesters began gathering in the early evening and some were detained as they arrived, Reuters reported via Al Jazeera.
Police in the capital have tried to stop assemblies over the previous two days, detaining dozens and taking them away by bus, the same account said. The protests began on Friday.
No independent audit figure for names removed from the rolls was included in the reports used here. The dispute remains an allegation by protesters and opposition figures, rejected by the commission and the governing party.
People Sentiments Negative
- Protesters in Mumbai and Delhi called for Gyanesh Kumar to resign.
- The Election Commission and the BJP denied that roll changes were meant to benefit the governing party.