Thousands of people gathered in New Delhi on Sunday to demand the resignation of India’s election chief. The protest was led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other leaders from the INDIA bloc. They marched under the banner of Save Democracy towards Ramlila Maidan, calling for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to step down.
Protesters say a recent revision of voter lists has unfairly removed millions of names and helps the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Analysts describe the growing youth protests and rising opposition support as the biggest challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi has faced since taking office in 2014. His government remains stable, and the next general election is still three years away in 2029.
Security was tight across the city. Hundreds of police officers with batons, shields and riot vehicles surrounded Ramlila Maidan. Traffic diversions were put in place as the march moved through central Delhi. Opposition leaders rode in an open jeep while supporters waved national and party flags.
Many ordinary citizens joined the protest. Reena Mahto from the Congress student wing said four members of her family in Chhattisgarh were wrongly removed from the voter list. Authorities claimed they had moved away even though the family still lives in the same house. “There should be accountability,” she said. Another protester, Dinesh Singh, said he came for his children’s future and was not tied to any political party.
The Election Commission has denied any bias and says people whose names were deleted by mistake can re-register. The BJP has accused the opposition of trying to weaken democracy by questioning proper electoral work. Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda called the protest a planned drama meant to create chaos.
This demonstration is part of a longer series of almost daily protests that began in late September. They started after reports that senior election officials had raised internal concerns about the voter list changes. The revision removed more than 130 million names, including people who had died, relocated or could not be found. Opposition parties claim the deletions hit Muslim voters and other minorities harder, claims the poll body and ruling party reject.
The large turnout in Delhi shows how strongly many citizens feel about fair elections and accountability in the system.
