Protesters have again taken to the streets in major Indian cities to demand the resignation of the chief election commissioner and greater transparency over electoral records, following allegations of manipulation of voter lists.
In Delhi, nearly 700 people, mostly students, have been detained by police after members of several student unions, along with politicians from opposition parties, gathered near Jantar Mantar to stage a protest.
The influential Gen Z-led Cockroach Janta Party launched a simultaneous protest in the financial hub of Mumbai, calling on supporters to gather at Shivaji Park at 4pm local time on Friday “to save democracy”.
The Cockroach Janta Party, which began as an online satirical movement, is riding on the success of its weeks-long sit-in campaign in July, which culminated in the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan amid demands for education reforms. Ministerial resignations are extremely rare at the federal level in India.
The latest protests were called after opposition parties raised concerns over the conduct of the Election Commission, and an investigation by The Indian Express reported that chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s two fellow commissioners had formally objected at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions taken by the three-member body.
The two election commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, reportedly said some decisions had been taken without their knowledge or approval.
Opposition parties have accused the Election Commission of altering voter registrations to give an advantage to the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, led by prime minister Narendra Modi. Both the commission and the government deny any wrongdoing.
Differences with Mr Kumar were reportedly particularly pronounced over the already controversial nationwide update to the electoral roll, known as the Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, which began last year.
The exercise has faced criticism over the volume of voters deleted from the list, and the stringent requirements for documents that people must provide to remain registered as voters.
The Election Commission has said the exercise is intended to remove the names of people who have died or moved away, those registered more than once and others who are ineligible, while ensuring eligible voters remain on the rolls. So far, however, 130 million names have been struck off voter lists.
Chaotic scenes unfolded in Delhi on Friday after police refused permission for the proposed demonstration at Jantar Mantar. Around 5,000 police and reserve force personnel were deployed as authorities prepared for a large turnout.
Those detained included senior figures from the opposition Aam Aadmi Party, including Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Sanjay Singh and Sanjeev Jha, as well as student activists.
Delhi Police also imposed prohibitory orders restricting gatherings and demonstrations around the protest site, and a number of metro stations were closed as large numbers of people from opposition parties, student groups and civil society organisations arrived in the area.
Videos from the scene showed police detaining protesters, dragging them through the street to waiting police vehicles. Dozens of protesters were seen being hauled into buses and driven away as others raised slogans and waved placards.
Delhi Police drags citizens on the streets of the capital!
— Neha (@neha_aisa) October 2, 2026
History will remember you Delhi Police and whose side you were on, who you were trying to save and who you attacked! pic.twitter.com/nxudsUnvn4
In detention at a police station, Ms Atishi, who goes by one name, said: “Today, we were holding a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar to save the country’s democracy and protect our right to vote.
“Delhi Police brutally detained Aam Aadmi Party leaders and workers from there and took them away.”
In Mumbai, police have gathered in large numbers after the CJP was also denied permission to hold a protest. Police cited a 2013 Bombay High Court order restricting Shivaji Park to sports use only, describing it as a silent zone.
As large numbers of people were seen gathering anyway on Friday afternoon, the state of Maharashtra’s chief minister Devendra Fadnavis criticised the agitation, saying the “fake narrative” against the Election Commission had been “busted” after a recent press conference by the three election commissioners.
The CJP has said this Mumbai protest is the start of a nationwide campaign that will move to other cities and eventually reach Jantar Mantar in Delhi by the end of October. They have stated they will not join the opposition INDIA bloc’s protests planned for later.
CJP spokesperson called Mr Kumar “enemy number one of the country” and said he will ultimately have to resign.
“We will ultimately end it only when Gyanesh Kumar resigns,” he said. “He has to go. He is a traitor to this country, enemy number one. We will ensure that he is removed from that position, all his crimes are undone, and he pays for the crimes he has committed against the young generation.”
The CJP protest coincided with a national holiday on Friday honouring the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, with the party’s leadership invoking the independence leader in statements and remarks to the media as they called for the protection of democratic and voting rights.
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