Protests over India’s controversial voter-list revision have spread beyond the country’s borders, with demonstrations in several cities worldwide, as a police crackdown on the youth-led movement fuels a widening political confrontation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
The latest developments came on Sunday as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which has spearheaded demonstrations demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, awaited the release of two jailed leaders and prepared to decide its next course of action.
The unrest centres on a sweeping revision of India’s electoral rolls that has resulted in the removal of more than 130 million names since last year.
Opposition parties and protesters allege that the exercise could disenfranchise legitimate voters, particularly minorities, and benefit Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Election Commission has rejected allegations of political bias, saying the revision is intended to remove ineligible and duplicate entries and that eligible voters wrongly excluded can seek re-enrolment.
What began as a dispute over electoral procedures has developed into a broader confrontation over democratic rights, police powers and restrictions on public demonstrations.
Protests reach cities worldwide
Indian diaspora groups and supporters of the movement held solidarity demonstrations in London, Berlin, Dublin, The Hague, Toronto, Vancouver, Los Angeles and several other cities over the weekend.
Further gatherings were planned for Sunday in Australia and the United States.
Under the slogan “Jantar Mantar is Everywhere”, demonstrators demanded electoral transparency, the protection of voting rights and an end to what they described as the suppression of peaceful dissent.
The international demonstrations followed Friday’s major protest in New Delhi’s Connaught Place, where hundreds of people carrying Indian flags gathered despite heavy security and restrictions imposed by police.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and several student leaders were detained ahead of or during the demonstration.
Police deployed thousands of personnel across central Delhi and detained more than 100 protesters, citing violations of prohibitory orders and restrictions on unauthorised gatherings.
Dipke was released on Saturday under conditions.
Detained leaders at centre of standoff
On Sunday, attention turned to CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who had been sent to five days’ judicial custody after attempting to demonstrate at Jantar Mantar.
The two were detained after allegedly breaching police restrictions at the protest site, which the authorities had recently removed from the list of designated demonstration venues.
Their custody period was due to end on Sunday, but their release remained uncertain as legal proceedings and verification of sureties continued.
The movement’s legal representatives questioned the delay, while Dipke accused the authorities of using detention to discourage protesters.
Dipke said the organisation would reassess its strategy once the two leaders were released and insisted that the campaign would continue.
The authorities maintain that restrictions on demonstrations are necessary to preserve public order.
Opposition steps up pressure
The dispute has also brought opposition parties into closer alignment with the youth-led movement.
The Congress and other opposition groups have demanded an independent examination of the voter-list revision and accused the Election Commission of undermining electoral fairness.
On Sunday, Delhi Police granted permission for a Congress rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1, providing the opposition with an opportunity to mobilise supporters around the issue.
Congress leaders renewed demands for the suspension of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, while other opposition figures accused the government of restricting both voting rights and the right to protest.
The BJP has dismissed the allegations, accusing opposition parties of attempting to discredit legitimate electoral procedures for political gain.
The government has also questioned the motives of the protesters, while opposition leaders insist that their campaign concerns the independence of democratic institutions.
Police action draws criticism
The handling of the demonstrations has attracted criticism from rights organisations and journalists.
Human Rights Watch has called on Indian authorities to end what it describes as a crackdown on peaceful protesters and release people arbitrarily detained during demonstrations.
Journalists covering the protests have also reported being detained or manhandled by police, raising concerns about press freedom.
The Delhi Police have filed multiple cases following Friday’s demonstrations and initiated action over social media posts allegedly containing fabricated footage or inflammatory material.
Meanwhile, protests have continued outside the capital.
In Bengaluru, police detained around 50 students and activists on Saturday during a demonstration against the electoral-roll revision. They were subsequently released.
The authorities said the gathering had taken place without permission at a location where protests were restricted.