Indian student groups and Gen Z party rally, demanding election chief Gyanesh Kumar resign

On Friday 2 October, student and civil society groups were due to gather at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over a controversial revision of India's voter rolls. 1 2 The Gen Z-led Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) was scheduled to rally in Mumbai the same day and plans to expand its demonstrations nationwide in the coming days; DW reported that the group said on X it would not demonstrate in New Delhi. 1 2 CJP convenor Saurav Das told the news agency ANI the party would only end its protest after Kumar resigns, saying the right to vote was the last tool left to change society. 1

The protesters' main allegation is that the commission manipulated voter rolls in ways that favour Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP); the commission and the government have denied this. 1 The dispute centres on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), a nationwide voter-verification exercise launched last year. Critics say it has removed millions of eligible voters, while the commission says it aims to remove duplicate, deceased or ineligible voters. 1 2 The Indian Express reported that over 130 million voters were struck off the draft voters list across 30 states and union territories. DW attributes the figure to that report. 2

Pressure on Kumar grew in September after the Indian Express reported that the two other election commissioners (named by DW as Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi) had formally raised concerns at least 14 times over 10 months. The concerns covered voter-list revisions, registration, deletions and restorations, appeals, and the security of the electoral roll. 1 2 In one objection, Sandhu reportedly called an action taken against the written advice of two commissioners "unauthorized and illegal". The Election Commission said differing views are a normal part of deliberations and that all its actions were lawful. 2 1 DW reported that critics and opposition leaders say those removed include a heavy proportion of minority voters and accuse Kumar of doing the government's bidding. It also noted a 2023 law gave the government a greater say in appointing the election chief. The BJP says those removed are largely dead voters and illegal infiltrators. 2

Police deployed heavily around Jantar Mantar, barricading several entry points and shutting several metro stations. According to ANI, a prohibitory order bans gatherings of five or more people, processions, sloganeering and demonstrations without permission. 2 Al Jazeera reported that police in New Delhi detained opposition politicians and demonstrators during the protests, with thousands of police mobilised and roads blocked off as crowds gathered. 3 Opposition parties led by the Congress party plan to begin their own protests demanding Kumar's resignation on 6 October. 1

The CJP emerged earlier this year from online frustration over unemployment and leaked exam papers. CNA says it is led by Abhijeet Dipke and spearheaded protests that led to the education minister's resignation. DW says Jantar Mantar was the base of that movement. 1 2