Indians Demand Election Chief Resign

Thousands of Indians took to the streets for a third consecutive day on Sunday, demanding the resignation of Election Commission of India (ECI) chief Gyanesh Kumar as police began investigating sexual harassment allegations involving officers during protests in New Delhi.

The demonstrations, which began on Friday, are centred on a large-scale voter-roll revision that demonstrators allege has unlawfully removed millions of names from the electoral register.

The ECI has rejected the allegations of wrongdoing, while Kumar has not publicly commented on the accusations.

In Mumbai, thousands of demonstrators marched on Sunday, waving Indian flags and calling for Kumar to leave office.

Supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a satirical political movement launched online in May, also took part in the demonstrations. The group previously campaigned successfully for the removal of India’s then education minister.

CJP chief Abhijeet Dipke described the Mumbai demonstration as a renewed call for free and fair elections, urging Indians to unite behind the protests.

“Mumbai is out on the streets again for free and fair elections!” CJP chief Abhijeet Dipke said in a social media post on Sunday.

“Solidarity with all the protestors,” he added. “All Indians need to come together. It’s now or never!”

In New Delhi, dozens of activists, including CJP supporters, gathered outside a police station to demand an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment by police officers during Saturday’s protests.

The allegations followed the detention of scores of demonstrators near Jantar Mantar, a government-designated protest site in the capital.

Delhi Police said three female journalists had made sexual harassment allegations against police officers during the protests and pledged to conduct what it described as a fair and impartial investigation.

One of the complainants, in a video shared on social media, alleged that a police officer pushed her and touched her inappropriately.

CJP activist Saurav Das said a delegation accompanying the complainant was at the police station, while Dipke called for the immediate arrest of the officer accused of the alleged misconduct.

Meanwhile, opposition politicians have accused the ECI of acting at the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), allegations the electoral body has rejected.

The opposition plans to march to the Election Commission in New Delhi on Tuesday, followed by nationwide “Save Democracy” rallies.

The CJP has also called for a major mobilisation of young Indians in New Delhi on October 10.