Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi briefly detained as protests grow over mass voter list purge
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NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi was briefly detained by police Wednesday during a protest against the country’s election chief, as opposition parties intensified their campaign against a contentious revision of voter lists that has removed over 130 million people.
Gandhi and other opposition lawmakers were stopped by police as they marched toward Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site in India’s capital New Delhi. A live feed on the YouTube channel of Gandhi’s Congress party showed police taking him into a vehicle and driving him away. He was later released.
It was Gandhi’s second detention in two days.
Authorities also detained several other opposition lawmakers and protesters, who were later released.
The opposition is demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing the poll body he heads of manipulating voter registrations to benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. The commission and government deny the allegations.
The protests are part of a widening campaign by opposition parties, student groups and India’s youth “Cockroach” movement against the India’s Election Commission nationwide effort, known as the Special Intensive Revision. It began last year in the eastern state of Bihar ahead of local elections and has since expanded to most of India’s states and federally administered territories.
Millions have appealed the removals.
Opposition parties and protest groups are calling for the revision to be halted and the names of those they say were wrongly removed to be restored. They allege the changes have disproportionately removed voters who support opposition parties while preserving or adding voters more likely to back Modi’s party.
Modi’s party and the Election Commission reject the allegations and say the revision has no political motive. They say it is aimed at removing duplicate and ineligible entries while ensuring eligible voters remain registered.
The protests pose a fresh political challenge to Modi, just months after demonstrations led by the “Cockroach” movement forced his education minister to resign over exam paper leaks.