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The election body has rejected the allegations, saying all its decisions were legally valid.
Reuters/File
India's opposition parties announced on Wednesday planned protests to "save democracy" against the Election Commission, after a newspaper investigation suggested impropriety in a large-scale voter roll revision.
Opposition leaders accuse the commission of "vote theft" and of acting for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party. The commission rejects the allegations.
Why are India's opposition parties protesting over 'vote theft'?
Opposition parties say the Election Commission of India is acting at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. Their campaign escalated after The Indian Express reported that some key decisions on the voter roll revision were likely taken without the approval of two of the three election commissioners.
Politicians have accused the head of the commission, long regarded as the guardian of the world's largest democracy, of acting on the BJP's behalf. The Indian Express published its report last week.
What are the opposition's protest plans?
"The main issue is the theft of votes," said Rahul Gandhi, of the main opposition Congress party. "We are going to ensure that those who have destroyed Indian democracy are punished," he told reporters.
Opposition lawmakers will march to the Election Commission in New Delhi, said Congress party chief Mallikarjun Kharge. They will then hold "save democracy" rallies countrywide in the days following.
What has the Election Commission said about the allegations?
The election body has rejected the allegations, saying all its decisions were legally valid, while its chief Gyanesh Kumar has not commented. The commission said the newspaper report gave "only one part of the picture."
It maintains that the revision was intended to remove duplicate entries and prevent "foreign illegal immigrants" from appearing on voter rolls. Modi's party has long alleged that undocumented migrants from neighboring Bangladesh have fraudulently registered as voters. Many such migrants are Muslims.
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