In brief
In Delhi, several opposition MPs—most notably Rahul Gandhi—were seized by police as they marched toward the Election Commission headquarters to protest a sweeping voter‑roll revision. The lawmakers were forced onto police buses, released shortly thereafter, and resumed a sit‑in outside the Commission’s offices. The protests are part of a broader national debate over the Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which has seen the removal of more than 130 million names and sparked accusations of bias in favour of the ruling BJP. Opposition leaders have demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the cancellation of the SIR exercise, and a return to paper ballots. The ensuing controversy has also reached the Supreme Court, where a petition argues that the CEC acted unilaterally without joint commission approval.
Police in Delhi detained several opposition lawmakers as they tried to march demanding the chief election commissioner resign over a controversial voter roll revision.
Following their release, leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, his sister Priyanka, and other MPs resumed the march, staging a sit‑in near the Election Commission headquarters. The protest comes on the heels of the Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, a nationwide effort that has seen over 130 million names removed from draft lists, sparking accusations of bias in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. Opposition parties claim many eligible voters were wrongly omitted and that the Commission acted without adequate consultation.
During the protest, police used buses to escort the MPs to various police stations, a move that the opposition described as a form of intimidation. The Indian Express had earlier reported that election commissioners had formally objected at least 14 times over a 10‑month period to orders issued in the Commission’s name, raising questions about the internal decision‑making process.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and chief opposition member Rahul Gandhi have called for the CEC’s resignation and a return to paper ballot voting. Meanwhile, the BJP has accused the opposition of attempting to destabilise constitutional institutions.
The Supreme Court has asked both the federal government and the Election Commission to explain why the chief election commissioner took key decisions without the approval of the other two commissioners, a request that may lead to a ruling on the legitimacy of the SIR exercise.
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