Thousands in India Demand Resignation of Election Commission Chief

In New Delhi, the capital of India, thousands of citizens took to the streets to demand the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar, the head of the Central Election Commission. The protests were sparked by the removal of more than 130 million citizens' names from the electoral rolls during a revision process.

The demonstration, held on November 1, was led by Rahul Gandhi, a leader of the opposition Indian National Congress party. Protesters argue that the changes to the voter list could provide a political advantage to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They contend that many citizens were unjustifiably stripped of their right to vote during the revision.

The Election Commission of India stated that the purpose of updating the list was to remove duplicate entries and individuals ineligible to vote. Denying any bias toward a particular political party, the Commission noted that citizens who were incorrectly removed from the list could re-register.

India’s Minister of Health, Jagat Prakash Nadda, described the protest as a "well-orchestrated spectacle."