Indian capital braces for second day of protests against poll chief

New Delhi continued to be under heavy police and paramilitary security on Sunday (Oct 11) as the city braced for a second day of youth protests. The protests were demanding the resignation of India's Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, over alleged voter list revisions that favored the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

A court had ordered the release of Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke and two other senior leaders, who had been detained upon their arrival in Delhi. Dipke's legal advisor, Ratna Singh, announced their release with a condition of no breach of peace for one year. Activist Dhruv Rathee, also among those detained, was released with a restriction on further protests.

Over 2,000 people were detained during Saturday's protest, which police had lockdown the city center to prevent. Opposition parties and critics accused authorities of excessive force, while a UN body urged respect for the right to peaceful assembly. India's foreign ministry dismissed the UN's stance as "selective" and an "unwarranted interference in India's internal affairs."

The protests emerged after an Indian Express report in late September revealed that Kumar's deputies raised concerns about voter list revisions. The Election Commission denied allegations of favoritism, but opposition parties claimed that Muslim and other minority voters were disproportionately affected by the deletions. The Cockroach Party, initially an online satire, has transformed into a pressure group advocating for electoral reform.