Indian opposition marches to Supreme Court over voter rolls

Hundreds of opposition protesters led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi marched toward India’s Supreme Court in New Delhi on Monday demanding the resignation of the country’s election chief Gyanesh Kumar over a disputed revision of voter lists.

The latest rally followed a weekend of unrest in Delhi, when police detained thousands of protesters, including leaders of the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), who are also asking for the election body’s special revision of electoral rolls to be halted.

The march was stopped by police barricades a few hundred meters from the top court. Lawyers representing Gandhi filed a plea in the court after it permitted a delegation of 10-15 people to enter the petition-filing area outside its high-security zone, The Times of India reported.

Gandhi was joined by his sister Priyanka Gandhi, opposition lawmakers, and student leaders, including Neha Bora. Some demonstrators pushed through barricades but were dealt with by riot-police and water cannons. The entries and exits at six Delhi Metro stations were closed for ten hours, while traffic restrictions affected more than 20 roads.

The opposition went ahead with the march after India’s Chief Justice Surya Kant declined a request from Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge for a private meeting. He said related matters were already before the court and the opposition should pursue formal judicial proceedings.

Separately, the court agreed to hear on Tuesday petitions over allegations that lawyers had been detained during the protests. Kant said demonstrations should not impede the court’s functioning.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police removed Jantar Mantar, long a protest venue in central Delhi, from the capital’s list of officially designated demonstration sites.

READ MORE: ‘Cockroaches’ are back in the streets: Here is why India faces a new wave of protests

On Sunday, the Delhi police named Ramlila Ground, about 3 km away from Jantar Mantar; Burari Ground, about 21 km away; and CBD Ground, about 12 km away, as replacements. Police cited the recommendations of a Home Ministry panel for the change. CJP leaders, however, objected and demanded a date for a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar itself, giving police 24 hours to respond.

The protests are now spreading across the country. The assembly, the main law-making institution, in the southern state of Kerala passed a resolution on Monday seeking Kumar’s removal and called for changes to the panel that appoints election commissioners.

About 300 people were detained during a demonstration in the financial capital of Mumbai on Sunday, and about 80 protesters in the western city of Pune.

The voter-list revision, launched last year, has resulted in more than 130 million names being cut from electoral rolls, including those of people recorded as deceased, relocated, or untraceable, according to Election Commission figures cited by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

However, opposition parties allege that eligible voters, particularly from minority communities, have been disproportionately affected and that the exercise benefits Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP.

The Election Commission and BJP deny manipulating the rolls for political gain. The poll body says wrongly excluded voters can seek reinstatement.

The BJP, meanwhile, has accused Congress of undermining constitutional institutions in an attempt to regain political power.