India
CJP Claims 10,000 Arrests as Protests Over Election Commissioner Continue
India’s opposition and student‑led CJP movement say authorities have detained many of its members as thousands of supporters and student groups protest for the resignation of the chief election commissioner. The Janata Party (CJP) announced that at least 10,000 people from its demonstrations, student organisations, affiliated grassroots groups and political parties had been detained across the country. Among those arrested is CJP national spokesman Deepak Baliyan, who was taken into police custody on Thursday, according to the group’s statements. Videos posted on X show activists being taken away in vans. The protests come ahead of CJP‑led antigovernment demonstrations planned for Saturday, with thousands expected to march to Jantar Mantar, the designated protest site in New Delhi. The movement demands the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over a controversial revision of voter lists, accusing the poll body of benefiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). CJP said that a group of students from Pune, headed for New Delhi to participate in the planned protests, were taken away in a bus to an unknown location. Founder Abhijeet Dipke responded to a video of activists being detained by asking, “Why not just declare EMERGENCY?” and adding, “Every vote matters.” The Election Commission has removed more than 130 million names from the voter lists, with millions appealing the removals. About 969 million people were eligible to vote in the 2024 election. Protesters allege the changes disproportionately removed voters who support opposition parties while preserving or adding voters more likely to back Modi’s party. The commission and government deny the allegations, saying the revision has no political motive but is aimed at removing duplicate and ineligible entries while ensuring eligible voters remain registered. Earlier on Thursday, thousands of supporters of the CJP youth movement protested in Bengaluru’s tech hub. Many protesters held posters that read, “Every name counts, Every vote matters” and “Stop the Murder of Democracy.” Khushi Shrivastava, a 22‑year‑old architecture student, told Reuters that “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.” On Wednesday, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi was briefly detained for the third time in two days, as his Congress Party accused police of using “brute force.” Police said the allegations were being used to “defame” them. BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said the allegations were “being levelled by an irresponsible, anarchist opposition.”