Opposition parties take to Supreme Court over massive voter roll purge in India
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Opposition lawmakers and supporters marched to the Supreme Court in New Delhi, accusing authorities of carrying out a politically biased removal of more than 130 million names from voter lists and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Opposition parties and thousands of supporters marched to the Supreme Court in New Delhi on Monday, submitting a petition that challenges the sweeping nationwide revision of voter lists. The petition alleges serious irregularities in the removal of more than 130 million names and calls for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The protest follows a series of demonstrations led by a youth movement that began after election authorities launched the revision process last year. Authorities say the cleanup is intended to eliminate duplicate and ineligible entries, while critics argue it risks disenfranchising eligible voters and could hand an unfair advantage to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi told reporters, "We will not back down," underscoring the opposition's determination to resist the changes. Gandhi and other leaders rode through the crowd in an open bus, holding up a copy of the Constitution.
Police closed six metro stations ahead of the march and warned of traffic disruptions. Earlier in the week, police detained thousands of activists and journalists and announced that Jantar Mantar would no longer be a designated venue for rallies, instead assigning three alternative sites.