Delhi Police Detain Protesters as Gen Z-Led Voter Roll Protests Enter Second Day
Indian police detained several people in New Delhi on Saturday, breaking up the second day of Gen Z protests against changes to the country’s voter rolls. The demonstrators, backed by the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party and other opposition groups, accuse the Election Commission of rigging electoral lists in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governing party.
About 100 protesters pull down barricades
Roughly 100 demonstrators removed security barricades and chanted “vote thief, leave the post” and “Gyanesh Kumar, step down” before police moved in and forcibly detained some of them, according to a Reuters witness. The protesters are demanding the resignation of India’s Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Police declined to comment on how many people were detained or who they were.
Among those who joined the protest were independent member of parliament Kapil Sibal, All India Students’ Association president Neha Bora, and political activists Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, the witness said.
“First they removed people from the voters list and now they are not letting us raise our voice against this. This is not acceptable,” Bora told Reuters at the scene.
Kumar has not commented on the protests or the demand that he step down.
Second day of disruption in the capital
Saturday’s action followed a tense Friday, when police stopped a group of protesters from gathering in the capital and bundled them into buses. Several nearby metro stations stayed shut amid tight security.
Though police released many of those picked up on Friday, several were charged with allegedly violating orders banning mass gatherings in Delhi, according to a police source.
What the voter-roll changes are about
At the heart of the dispute is a nationwide voter-verification exercise launched last year. Critics say it has led to millions of eligible voters being struck off electoral rolls, while supporters of the exercise say it is overdue.
The Election Commission has long been regarded as one of India’s most trusted institutions. It says the exercise is meant to remove duplicate, deceased or ineligible voters from the rolls.
On Friday, the Commission directed officials to register newly eligible voters and those who had been omitted from electoral rolls, a move that may defuse some of the anger but has not stopped the demonstrations.
Gen Z protests: why this matters
The Gen Z protests are the latest in a series of youth-led demonstrations that have emerged this year, putting pressure on Modi unprecedented in his 12 years in power. Analysts say the movement is significant because it is driven by young voters rather than established opposition parties, though opposition groups have lent it support.
Whether the protests grow will depend on how the Election Commission handles the registration directive and whether police action draws more people onto the streets in the coming days.
FAQs
Why are Gen Z protesters demonstrating in Delhi?
They are protesting changes to voter rolls under a nationwide verification exercise, which they say benefits Prime Minister Modi’s governing party. They want Election Commission chief Gyanesh Kumar to resign.
How many people were detained?
Police have not said. About 100 demonstrators took part on Saturday, and several were forcibly detained after removing barricades, according to a Reuters witness.
What does the Election Commission say?
The Commission says the verification exercise is intended to remove duplicate, deceased or ineligible voters. On Friday it ordered officials to register newly eligible voters and those omitted from the rolls.
What happened on the first day of the protests?
On Friday, police stopped protesters from gathering in Delhi, bundled them into buses and kept several metro stations shut. Several of those detained were charged with violating bans on mass gatherings.
