Central Delhi locked down, internet cut as youth protest demands election chief quit

Delhi was placed under lockdown on Saturday, with police and paramilitary forces patrolling the city, metro stations shut down, mobile internet connections suspended, and markets closed to prevent a youth-led protest. The demonstration, organized by the "cockroach" youth movement, aimed to draw thousands of demonstrators who demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The protesters, alleging voter list revision favoring Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), sought to stage the largest protest since launching a campaign last week after The Indian Express reported on Kumar's deputies questioning his decisions regarding the revision process that removed nearly 130 million voter names from the voter list.

Opposition parties alleged government efforts to manipulate voter lists and swiftly echoed the claims once the Indian Express report surfaced. Kumar and the Election Commission, as well as BJP, denied the allegations, with the BJP attributing their electoral success to Prime Minister Modi's popularity and economic growth, while accusing opposition parties of misleading the nation.

The protest, dubbed "Save Democracy" by organizers, was set to gather at Jantar Mantar in Delhi's central business district at 10 am, despite Delhi Police denying permission citing late requests, violations of previous protest guidelines, and a need to enforce the law and maintain order. Protests leaders rejected the police ban, affirming their right to assemble and vowed to proceed with the demonstration.

In an effort to deter protesters, multiple long-distance trains were cancelled, and 57 metro stations were closed, with mobile internet services in a 4km radius of the protest area suspended from Friday night to Saturday night, according to an ANI news agency report citing a government order.