Delhi tightens security ahead of new protest against election chief

Delhi authorities have imposed strict security measures in anticipation of new protests against the Election Commission. Opposition parties are planning to march to the Supreme Court to voice their concerns over the controversial revision of voter lists, which has sparked widespread unrest in the capital city.

The revision process, initiated last year, has led to the deletion of over 130 million names from electoral rolls, including the deceased, relocated individuals, and those who could not be located. This drastic action has drawn criticism from various opposition parties, who claim that the deletions disproportionately affect Muslim voters and other minorities, potentially favoring Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Police have detained thousands of protesters, including leaders from the Cockroach Youth Party (CJP), as supporters of the youth movement attempted to march in protest. The Election Commission has denied any bias towards a particular political party, stating that wrongly deleted voters can re-enroll. However, the BJP has accused its rivals of attempting to undermine the democratic electoral processes.

In response to the mounting pressure, six metro stations in Delhi were closed on Monday for security reasons, and traffic restrictions and diversions were imposed along over 20 stretches. The main opposition Congress party has announced a march to the Supreme Court to submit a memorandum to the chief justice, demanding the resignation of Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and an end to what they term "vote theft."

However, Chief Justice Surya Kant declined the Congress delegation's request for a meeting, urging them to approach the court legally as the issue is already under judicial scrutiny.