Indian opposition rallies demanding poll chief’s ouster

Senior Indian opposition leaders from 19 political parties led tens of thousands protesters in a march in New Delhi on Sunday, demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, accusing him of voter-roll manipulation.

The demonstration at Ramlila Maidan, one of the Indian capital’s designated protest sites, was led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and regional party leaders. It is the latest in weeks of protests over the nationwide revision of electoral rolls that has cut more than 130 million names from draft voter lists, including those recorded as deceased, relocated, or untraceable.

Sunday’s protests were peaceful although a large number of police personnel were deployed on the streets.

Opposition parties allege that those who tend to vote against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been deliberately excluded from the voter lists, and it will help tilt elections in favor of the party.

The controversy intensified after the Indian Express revealed that two election commissioners in the three-member panel had objected at least 14 times to decisions involving voter registration, deletions, and electoral procedures. Last week, the panel told India’s Supreme Court that all three commissioners had unanimously approved the orders authorizing the revision.

The poll panel denies favoring any political party, and maintains that the revision is intended to remove duplicate and ineligible entries. It also says any wrongly excluded voters can apply to be re-included in the rolls.

Addressing the rally, Gandhi accused Kumar of facilitating electoral manipulation and warned that he would face prosecution. “Gyanesh Kumar will be removed as CEC. Gyanesh Kumar will go to jail,” he declared.

READ MORE: ‘People have a right to seek answers’: Inside India’s unrest over the electoral process

Gandhi warned Modi and Indian Home Minister Amit Shah that they could also face legal action over alleged vote theft.

Meanwhile, the BJP staged a counter-protest in West Delhi, accusing Congress of disrespecting victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots – which followed the assassination of then-prime minister Indira Gandhi – by scheduling its rally on the anniversary of the violence.

BJP leaders, who demanded apologies from Congress and Rahul Gandhi, described the killings as a “well-planned massacre.” A senior BJP minister from Delhi, J.P. Nadda, accused the opposition of attempting to create unrest on the pretext of defending democracy.