Demonstrations have erupted this month over the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) “special intensive revision” of electoral rolls, which the commission says is intended to remove duplicate and ineligible voters.
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 attracted key leaders from India’s main opposition Congress party, including Rahul Gandhi, who was briefly detained during rallies this week.
Protesters, including from the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement, are calling for mass rallies in New Delhi on Saturday.
Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in parliament, and other opposition leaders are expected to meet President Droupadi Murmu on Friday to express complaints about ECI chief Gyanesh Kumar.
The ECI, India’s constitutional body responsible for conducting elections, has rejected allegations of wrongdoing.
More than 20,000 police and paramilitary officers have been deployed in the capital ahead of the protest, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.
Yellow metal barricades blocked key roads in the city centre, restricting access to the government-designated protest site of Jantar Mantar, AFP reporters saw.
Police have not authorised rallies at the site, and ordered restrictions on the metro subway system from Friday evening “in view of proposed protests and the likelihood of unruly mob movement”, a police letter to the metro operator said.
The Supreme Court said there should be no complete shutdown of metro services, and that train cancellations and road closures should be reviewed.
The court also asked the government to consider providing a designated protest venue with adequate facilities.
Mobile internet services would also be suspended in the central Delhi area from Friday night, according to a government order.
– ‘Come what may’ –
The Cockroach Janta Party emerged online in May as a satirical political movement, and led protests at Jantar Mantar that succeeded in a campaign to oust the then education minister.
The CJP has called for a “mass mobilisation” in New Delhi on Saturday, including an intended march to Jantar Mantar.
The movement has said 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.
CJP chief Abhijeet Dipke said on social media on Friday that the “intimidation is not going to work, Modi”.
“The dictator would rather shut down the entire national capital and inconvenience millions of citizens than allow a peaceful protest at a designated protest site,” he said.
“I’ll be landing in Delhi tomorrow and will march to Jantar Mantar, come what may.”
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