India deploys thousands of police ahead of election protest

India has deployed more than 20,000 police and paramilitary officers in New Delhi on Friday, a day before planned protests demanding Election Commission chief Gyanesh Kumar step down over alleged voter-roll irregularities, the Press Trust of India reported.

Why has India deployed police ahead of the election protest?

Protesters have called for mass rallies in New Delhi on Saturday over the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) “special intensive revision” of electoral rolls. The commission says the exercise is intended to remove duplicate and ineligible voters. Police have not authorized rallies at the designated protest site.

Who is behind the election protests?

Opposition parties and critics allege the exercise could disenfranchise voters to the benefit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). A wave of street protests, including in New Delhi, has drawn key leaders from India’s main opposition Congress party, including Rahul Gandhi, who was briefly detained during rallies this week. The ECI, India’s constitutional body responsible for conducting elections, has rejected allegations of wrongdoing.

Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in parliament, and other opposition leaders are expected to meet President Droupadi Murmu later Friday to complain about ECI chief Gyanesh Kumar. Protesters, including from the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement, are calling for mass rallies in New Delhi on Saturday. The CJP emerged online in May as a satirical political movement, and led protests at Jantar Mantar, which succeeded in a campaign to oust the then education minister.

What restrictions are in place around Jantar Mantar?

Yellow metal barricades have sprung up across key roads in the city center, restricting access to the government-designated protest site of Jantar Mantar, AFP reporters saw. Police have not authorized rallies at the site. The CJP has called for a “mass mobilization” in New Delhi on Saturday, including an intended march to Jantar Mantar.

The movement has claimed that its volunteers and supporters were being detained by police ahead of the planned demonstration, allegations police did not respond to. “Delhi police is working like the BJP’s private militia,” CJP activist Saurav Das said in a post on social media.