India deploys police, restricts transport ahead of major protest demanding election chief resign

New Delhi, October 10 — Thousands of Indian police and paramilitary personnel, along with barriers, have been deployed in the nation's capital, Delhi, ahead of mass protests demanding the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) over alleged election irregularities. The protests are being organized by the youth-led Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) following weeks of opposition mobilization over allegations of misconduct during nationwide voter-roll revisions.

The controversy began after a newspaper investigation reported misconduct within the Election Commission of India (ECI). The ECI has denied any wrongdoing, claiming the revision was to remove duplicate and ineligible voters. Critics argue that the revision could disenfranchise voters and benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Tens of thousands of police and paramilitary forces have been stationed across Delhi, with multiple layers of barricades obstructing roads leading to Jantar Mantar, the typical protest site designated by authorities. Police have not permitted rallies at Jantar Mantar this weekend. The protests, called by the CJP, are seen as a repeat of their mass mobilization in July, which led to the education minister's resignation over an examination scandal.

This time, protesters are specifically demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. Protesters walk away after police have barricaded a street near Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on October 10, 2026. - AFP (no caption) The allegations pose a fresh challenge for 76-year-old Modi during his third term in office. Authorities have ordered the suspension of numerous metro stations, and several trains to New Delhi have been canceled.

However, the Supreme Court recently ruled that some trains must still run and that there will be no blanket closure of metro stations. "The dictator would rather shut down the entire national capital and inconvenience millions of citizens than allow a peaceful protest at a designated protest site," CJP chief Abhijeet Dipke said on social media platform X. "Imagine how many lives would be affected because of this shutdown by Modi."

The CJP, which originated as a satirical political movement in May, has accused authorities of intimidating its supporters ahead of the demonstration. The party claims that "at least 10,000 people," including protesters traveling to Delhi by train, have been detained nationwide. Some individuals detained in Madhya Pradesh were reportedly taken to hotels, according to The Hindu.

Police have not responded to the party's broader allegations of mass detentions. "You can detain the people — you cannot detain the movement," said Neha Bora, a prominent figure in the ongoing protests. Over 133 million names have been excluded from draft voter rolls due to the voter list overhaul, which began in 2025. The exclusions consist of duplicate entries and individuals found to have died.

The ECI claims the exercise identifies fraudulent registrations and aims to prevent foreign illegal immigrants from voting. However, critics contend that the campaign has disproportionately affected marginalized and minority communities. Members of Modi's Hindu nationalist BJP have accused large numbers of undocumented Muslim migrants from neighboring Bangladesh of fraudulently entering India's electoral rolls.