Indian opposition protesters in New Delhi call on election chief to quit

Thousands of protesters have gathered in New Delhi's Supreme Court, demanding a voter audit and showing no signs of giving up their cause. The city's police have been heavily deployed to quell the demonstrations, which have been ongoing for nearly a month. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the petition on Tuesday. New Delhi's major metro stations were closed and thousands of security personnel were deployed to prevent protesters from attending the protests, but the demonstrators managed to bypass police barricades and continue their march.

Rahul Gandhi, leader of the main opposition Congress Party, led the procession to the Supreme Court, carrying a copy of the constitution. Critics claim that the removal of millions of names from voter lists, which has affected over 130 million people, is a move that benefits Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Election Commission of India denies any wrongdoing, stating that wrongly deleted voters can re-enroll. The petition filed with the court alleges irregularities in the nationwide revision of voter lists and seeks an audit, safeguards, a hearing, and an interim suspension of the revision nationwide. The protests have become a significant political challenge for Mr. Modi, attracting opposition parties, student groups, and activists led by the Cockroach Party movement.

Opposition figures have accused authorities of suppressing dissent through mass detentions, while the BJP claims the protests are an attempt by the main opposition party Congress to seize power. Delhi Police have banned Jantar Mantar, a longstanding protest hub, and identified three new protest sites. Opposition leaders, like Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, vow to continue the protest, calling the site ban a "big defeat for the BJP government."