Indian opposition protest police action against lawmakers, push for poll chief's resignation
“Indian opposition groups demonstrated for a third day on Thursday, protesting police action against Congress party leaders and demanding the resignation of the chief election commissioner over a cont…”
Opposition parties, their student units, and the "Cockroach" youth movement have been holding almost daily demonstrations seeking Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. They have accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using a revision of voter lists to fix them in its favour, in collusion with its appointees, including Kumar.
Kumar has not commented, but the Election Commission and the BJP have denied the allegations. The protests present a new political challenge to Modi midway into his third term, just months after similar demonstrations led by the self-named Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) forced the resignation of his education minister over exam paper leaks.
Read:Modi's education minister quits as jubilant Indian youth protesters claim victory, end protest. Visuals from news agencyANIshowed dozens of Congress supporters staging a protest march on Thursday in the southern state of Telangana, while the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal organised a similar demonstration in the eastern state of Bihar.
"Stay connected with Aman-e-Pakistan for ongoing live reporting and verified investigative updates."
Hundreds of supporters of the CJP youth movement also protested in tech hub Bengaluru, many of them holding posters that said, "Every name counts, Every vote matters" and "Stop the Murder of Democracy". "I think voting right is the most basic point of democracy...
People who actually want to vote, who actually care about the future of India, they are just being (denied) voting rights," Khushi Shrivastava, a 22-year-old architecture student who attended the Bengaluru protest, told. Reuters. Read more:India's 'cockroach' movement says will launch protest if poll panel chief doesn't quit in 48 hours.
On Wednesday, Congress accused police of using "brute force" to briefly detain party leader Rahul Gandhi, his sister Priyanka Vadra, and other lawmakers as they tried to reach the Jantar Mantar protest site in New Delhi. Delhi Police said the allegations were being used to "defame" the force.
"We are on the ground and, as officers, we also ensure that every kind of legal duty is followed and no illegal, unnecessary actions take place," senior police officer Shrishti Pandey toldANI.
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