India opposition parties march to Supreme Court against election chief

Hundreds of opposition party members and supporters marched to India's Supreme Court on Monday to protest the removal of millions of names from voter lists, according to wire material. The protests, which have taken place daily this month, demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, who is accused of favoring Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Over 130 million names, including 28 million deceased individuals, 63 million relocated citizens, and 30 million untraceable people, were struck from the voter lists last year. Thousands of protesters were detained by police, and security forces locked down central Delhi as supporters attempted to march. The Election Commission denies favoring any party, stating that wrongly deleted voters can re-enrol.

Despite initially declining their request for a meeting, Chief Justice Surya Kant suggested opposition parties file a petition instead. Authorities closed six metro stations and restricted traffic along multiple routes in anticipation of the demonstration. The BJP accused the opposition of attempting to seize power by discrediting constitutional institutions and spreading chaos.