New Delhi, Oct 10 (V7N)- Security has been tightened across central Delhi as members of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), an online satirical youth movement, prepare to protest demanding the resignation of India's Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in voter-list revisions.
Thousands of police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed in the capital, while several metro stations and markets have been closed. Mobile internet services have also been suspended in areas around the planned protest venue.
The demonstration, scheduled for Saturday under the slogan “Save Democracy,” is set to take place at Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site in central New Delhi. Organizers have called for a large turnout, describing the rally as the biggest protest in a series of demonstrations that began last week.
The protesters allege that the revision of electoral rolls was conducted in a way that could benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). They are demanding Kumar's resignation over the controversy.
A report by The Indian Express said that around 13 crore voter names were omitted during the revision process and that some officials within the Election Commission had questioned or disagreed with aspects of the process.
Opposition parties have repeatedly accused the government of seeking to influence electoral rolls to its advantage. The allegations have gained renewed attention following the report. However, the Election Commission and the BJP have denied the accusations, while Kumar has not publicly commented on the matter.
The BJP has attributed its electoral success to Modi's popularity and India's economic growth, accusing opposition parties of misleading the public after repeated electoral defeats.
The protests have added to the political pressure on Modi's government ahead of elections in several states from early 2027, including Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, which is currently governed by the BJP.
Delhi Police said on Friday, October 9, that permission for the rally had been denied because organizers did not apply within the required timeframe and had allegedly failed to comply with commitments made during previous demonstrations. Police warned that legal action would be taken against anyone violating restrictions.
CJP leaders rejected the decision, arguing that peaceful protest is a fundamental right and vowing to proceed despite the lack of permission.
Authorities have also taken measures to limit access to the protest area. Several long-distance trains bound for Delhi were reportedly cancelled on Friday, while 57 metro stations were closed from Friday night.
According to news agency ANI, citing a government order, mobile internet services were suspended within a four-kilometre radius of the protest site from Friday night until Saturday night as part of security measures.
END/SMA/AJ
