Key facts
- Indian opposition parties will protest alleged manipulation of voter lists.
- The Election Commission is accused of pushing large-scale voter list changes.
- Opposition parties claim the lists were manipulated to benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party.
- The Election Commission denies the charges, stating its actions were lawful.
- Protests include a march to the Election Commission office on October 6 and a rally in New Delhi on November 1.
- The opposition alliance, the INDIA alliance, includes about two dozen parties.
An alliance of Indian opposition parties announced on Wednesday that it would launch protests to "save democracy" following a newspaper report alleging the Election Commission pushed large-scale voter list changes despite objections from two commissioners. The opposition claims these changes were manipulated to benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a charge the Election Commission has rejected, stating that differences within institutions are normal and all its actions were lawful.
The INDIA alliance, comprising about two dozen opposition parties, with 20 attending Wednesday's meeting, outlined its protest plans. These include a march to the Election Commission office on October 6, a rally in New Delhi on November 1, and a representation to the president. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stated after the meeting that "We are going to ensure that the people who have destroyed Indian democracy are punished."
Separately, the "cockroach" youth movement, which previously led protests resulting in an education minister's resignation in July, has also demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and is set to launch its own protest on Friday.