Over 100 Million Voters Removed from Rolls Trigger New Delhi Protests; Thousands Deployed and Journalists Detained as Modi Faces Toughest Challenge in 12 Years

According to Al Jazeera, thousands of opposition supporters gathered toward the Supreme Court of India in New Delhi on Monday, demanding the resignation of Election Commission Chief Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and accountability for the disenfranchisement crisis triggered by a sweeping revision of India's voter rolls. The protest, led by Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, has emerged as one of the toughest political challenges Modi has faced in his 12 years in power.

Reporting from New Delhi, Al Jazeera journalist Yashraj Sharma said protesters poured onto roads leading to the Supreme Court, shouting slogans against Modi and the Election Commission chief. Indian media reported that Gandhi filed a petition with the Supreme Court on behalf of opposition leaders regarding the Election Commission on the same day.

The political storm was triggered by an unprecedented revision of the voter rolls. According to media reports, the revision resulted in more than 133 million names being struck from voter lists. Critics argue that minorities, including Muslims, have been disproportionately affected. The Election Commission has not disclosed the specific criteria and procedural details behind the deletions, and has denied any wrongdoing, claiming the revision was aimed at removing duplicate, deceased and fictitious registrations.

Thousands of police and security personnel have been deployed in central New Delhi for a third consecutive day. Authorities shut six metro stations, warned of possible traffic disruptions, and erected heavy metal barricades along the protest route.

Clashes between police and protesters escalated sharply over the weekend. CPI(M) MP John Brittas claimed he was "beaten, dragged and assaulted" by police during a Sunday demonstration. He said: "This is not merely an assault on an MP. It is an assault on democratic freedoms and the rule of law." Police did not respond to questions about detentions and specific actions at a Sunday press conference.

The international NGO Reporters Without Borders noted that at least 16 journalists were "roughly" detained by police while covering the protests over the weekend, despite clearly wearing press credentials. The organization stated: "Covering events of public interest is not a crime. It is their job. The police's actions against the press are unacceptable."

Police detained thousands of protesters over the weekend. Meanwhile, a youth movement calling itself the "Cockroach Janta Party" (CJP), which boasts millions of followers on social media, has continued to make its voice heard. The movement's leaders vowed to keep protesting until Kumar resigns.

Gandhi directed his remarks at Home Minister Amit Shah: "Bring as much police as you want — 10 thousand, 20 thousand, 40 thousand, go ahead. Call as many BJP-RSS goons as you need." He subsequently stated online: "We are not the ones to get scared. We are not the ones to back down. This fight is not going to stop now!"

The protest has drawn together opposition parties, student groups and activists, whose grievances over the voter roll revision have been building for days. The Election Commission has yet to provide an official explanation for the deletion figure of 133 million, nor has it responded to questions on whether an impact assessment on minorities was conducted as part of the revision.