India deploys thousands of police ahead of election protest

NEW DELHI: Ahead of planned protests demanding the resignation of the Election Commission of India's chief over alleged voter-roll irregularities, thousands of police have been deployed in the capital on Friday. Demonstrations have emerged this month over the ECI's "special intensive revision" of electoral rolls, which the commission claims is to eliminate duplicate and ineligible voters.

However, opposition parties and critics argue the exercise could disenfranchise voters, potentially benefiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Rahul Gandhi, leader of India's main opposition Congress party, along with other opposition lawmakers, has been detained during rallies this week. Opponents, including from the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement, are calling for mass rallies in New Delhi on Saturday. Gandhi, along with other opposition leaders, is set to meet President Droupadi Murmu later Friday to voice concerns about the ECI chief, Gyanesh Kumar, who is accused of voter manipulation.

The ECI, India's constitutional body responsible for organizing elections, has denied allegations of misconduct. Over 20,000 police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed in the city to curb the protests. Yellow metal barricades have been erected across major roads in the city center, limiting access to the government-designated protest site, Jantar Mantar, where AFP reporters noticed.

Despite the opposition's calls, the CJP has not authorized rallies at the site. The movement, which started online in May as a satirical political group, led a successful campaign to remove the then education minister from office. CJP activist Saurav Das claimed that police were detaining his volunteers and supporters ahead of the planned demonstration, a claim police did not address. Das remarked, "Delhi police is working like the BJP's private militia."