Rahul Gandhi detained as Indian opposition protests against election chief

Dozens of Indian opposition lawmakers marched towards the Election Commission of India headquarters in New Delhi on Tuesday, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over a controversial revision of voter lists, with police detaining Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi, television channels reported.

The protest, involving parties opposed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, came amid growing allegations that changes to voter lists and registration procedures could favour Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Congress and other opposition parties have accused the election commission of bias. The commission and the BJP have denied the allegations, while Kumar has not commented on the issue.

Opposition march blocked

Lawmakers marched from parliament towards the election commission headquarters in central Delhi, carrying a large banner reading “Save Democracy” and raising slogans against Modi.

“The election commission is a puppet in the hands of the government. We are fighting to save our democracy,” Mallikarjun Kharge, president of the main opposition Congress party, told reporters as the march began.

Police and hundreds of security personnel, including paramilitary forces, were deployed around the protest area. Barricades were erected and several routes were closed as authorities sought to prevent the lawmakers from reaching the election commission office.

Television footage showed security personnel, some carrying batons, positioned outside the barricaded headquarters.

Authorities also advised people to avoid travelling through areas affected by the demonstrations.

Election commission faces scrutiny

The protests were triggered in part by a report in the Indian Express newspaper last month that said there were divisions within the election commission over the voter-list revision.

The reported differences have raised concerns among opposition parties about the commission’s neutrality.

The demonstrations mark another political challenge for Modi midway through his third term. They follow a series of almost daily protests by student organisations, political parties and the so-called “cockroach” youth movement, which began last week.

The protests also come months after demonstrations over examination paper leaks led to the resignation of India’s education minister, according to Reuters.

Opposition parties allege that the revised voter lists benefit Modi and the BJP. The government and the BJP have rejected the accusations.

Supreme Court to hear challenge

India’s Supreme Court agreed on Monday to hear legal arguments seeking its intervention over allegations concerning the poll body’s voter-registration drive and the conduct of its chief.

Petitioners alleged bias by the election commission during the hearing.

“If there are decisions against the law … We will take care of it,” the court said, according to Reuters.

The Supreme Court proceedings add a legal dimension to the political dispute as opposition parties continue their campaign against the election commission.