Indian Opposition MPs Detained Amid Protest Over Election Chief

Police detained opposition Members of Parliament in New Delhi on Tuesday as they marched to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The opposition alleges that Kumar manipulated the electoral rolls to favor Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Security was heightened around the Election Commission headquarters, with police barricading roads along the route from parliament. Officers intercepted buses carrying protesters, taking them to various police stations. The exact number of detained lawmakers was not disclosed, but the opposition claimed 237 MPs from multiple parties participated in the march.

At the core of the controversy is the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. This exercise, which began in Bihar in June 2025 and expanded nationwide, aims to remove duplicate and ineligible voters. So far, over 130 million names have been removed from draft voter lists.

Opposition parties and activists contend that many eligible voters have been wrongly excluded and accuse the Election Commission of conducting the process improperly. Their campaign against Kumar intensified following a report in The Indian Express newspaper. The report detailed at least 14 instances over 10 months where election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally objected to decisions issued in the commission's name without their knowledge. These objections reportedly concerned additions and deletions from voter rolls, database access, and data security, with some linked to the electoral roll revision program.

The Election Commission, a three-member body, defended its decision-making, stating that differing views are part of institutional functioning and that final decisions were unanimous. However, these revelations sparked a political backlash, increasing calls for Kumar's resignation.

Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party urged Kumar to resign, tweeting, "Gyanesh, it's done, bro. Time to resign." Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge outlined the party's "non-negotiable" demands: Kumar's resignation, cancellation of the SIR exercise, and a return to paper ballot voting.

The ruling BJP condemned the protests. BJP MP Sambit Patra described them as a "sponsored attempt" to seize power through "anarchy" and accused opposition parties of undermining constitutional institutions.

The controversy has also reached India's Supreme Court, which has requested responses from the federal government and the Election Commission regarding a petition alleging that Kumar made key decisions without the approval of the other two commissioners. The petition argues Kumar overstepped his authority by exercising powers meant for the commission collectively. The court acknowledged that decisions must be made by unanimous or majority vote and suggested actions could be invalidated if this process was bypassed. However, the court declined to suspend Kumar, stating it would hear the commission's response and review relevant records first.

A separate online satirical movement, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), also organized demonstrations in Mumbai and Delhi, demanding the CEC's resignation and calling it the start of a nationwide campaign, with further protests planned for October 10.

The Election Commission was contacted by the BBC for comment on Tuesday's protest.