RismadarVoice Reporters
October 4, 2026
Protests demanding the resignation of India’s Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, continued on Sunday as police investigated allegations of sexual harassment against officers during demonstrations in New Delhi.
The protests began on Friday, October 2, over a nationwide voter-roll revision that critics allege has resulted in large-scale removal of names from electoral registers.
The Election Commission of India has defended the voter-verification exercise, maintaining that the process is intended to update and improve the accuracy of electoral rolls. Opposition groups and protesters, however, have alleged that the exercise has unfairly excluded eligible voters.
Demonstrators have demanded Kumar’s resignation, with youth-led groups and opposition activists participating in protests in New Delhi and Mumbai.
The Cockroach Janta Party, a youth-led movement that has become prominent in the demonstrations, has called for wider mobilisation over the voter-roll controversy.
The protests took another turn following allegations that three women journalists were sexually harassed by police personnel while covering Saturday’s demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
Delhi Police confirmed receiving complaints from the journalists and said the cases had been transferred to the Crime Branch for what authorities described as a fair and impartial investigation.
One of the journalists alleged that a police officer behaved inappropriately toward her while she was covering the detention of protesters. The allegation has not been established, and the investigation remains ongoing.
The demonstrations have also resulted in the detention of protesters, including activists and political figures, as authorities imposed restrictions on gatherings around parts of central New Delhi.
Opposition politicians have accused the Election Commission of favouring Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party through the voter-roll exercise. The commission has rejected allegations that the revision is politically motivated.
Protest organisers have indicated that demonstrations will continue, with further mobilisation planned as pressure grows on election authorities to address concerns surrounding the voter lists.
The controversy comes as India prepares for future state and national elections, placing the conduct of the voter-roll revision and the independence of the country’s electoral institutions under increased public scrutiny.
