Indian opposition leaders accuse police of heavy handed tactics in protests

Indian opposition leaders and journalists accused police of heavy-handed tactics during weekend demonstrations in New Delhi, according to Euronews and France 24. Authorities locked down central Delhi on Monday for a third consecutive day, deploying thousands of personnel, erecting heavy metal barricades, and closing key metro stations ahead of a planned opposition rally. [1][2]

The demonstrations were sparked by a nationwide revision of voter lists. Euronews reported that critics say the revision could benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. France 24 noted that critics argue the voter roll changes disproportionately affect Muslim and other minority voters. As FTMQ News reported earlier, previous reports stated that 130 million voters were removed from the electoral rolls. [1][2][11][12]

Al Jazeera reported that the main opposition Congress party called for a march to the Supreme Court to demand the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of vote theft. The anti-CEC demonstrations demand changes to the Election Commission of India's Special Intensive Revision process, while party leader Rahul Gandhi called for activists to join the march. [1][3][9]

Security forces have previously detained protesting politicians during earlier demonstrations, as FTMQ News reported earlier. Protests and opposition rallies demanding the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar have occurred in cities including Bengaluru, even as forty-two former judges issued a statement defending the Election Commission of India. [11][12]