Delhi braces for INDIA bloc march; major traffic curbs and metro restrictions announced

India's opposition parties have made their way to the Supreme Court on Monday, protesting a voter list purge they claim favors Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party. This comes after police detained thousands of activists over the weekend in a large-scale crackdown. The opposition seeks the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and a petition has been submitted to the chief justice.

Protests, led by the "Cockroach" youth movement, have gained momentum since the revision of voter lists began last year, with over 130 million voters being removed from the lists. Critics argue that the process is politically motivated and could disenfranchise eligible voters. Both Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party and the Election Commission deny allegations of manipulation, stating that the move is necessary to eliminate duplicate and ineligible names.

Authorities have closed six metro stations in the capital and warned of traffic disruptions ahead of the march. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party has described the escalating protests as a fight to defend the constitution, vowing they will not back down. Police have already detained thousands of demonstrators, including leaders of the "Cockroach" movement.

Earlier protests by the group resulted in the resignation of Modi's education minister in July. While Modi has not publicly commented on the current protests, leaders of his party have dismissed them, with some calling the activists "anarchists."