Police in India dispersed and temporarily detained protesters, including Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi, who were demanding the resignation of the country's Chief Election Commissioner. Demonstrators accuse the election commission of manipulating voter lists to favor the ruling party.
On Tuesday, dozens of lawmakers led by Gandhi marched towards the election commission's headquarters and staged a sit-in nearby. Police ended the demonstration by moving several protesters into vehicles. The commission and the ruling party have denied the allegations.
The protests were ignited by a report in the "Indian Express" newspaper last month, which detailed internal disagreements within the commission over updating voter rolls. Opposition parties and a youth movement known as "The Cockroaches" are participating in the demonstrations.
These events pose a political challenge for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's third term, coming just months after similar protests over leaked exam questions led to the resignation of India's education minister.
Delhi Police stated that Rahul Gandhi, his sister Priyanka Vadra, and several others were detained to maintain public order. The Congress party later confirmed that all of them had been released.
During the march, some protesters carried placards calling the election commissioner a "traitor" and accusing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of disenfranchising voters.
Source: Indian Express, Delhi Police
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