Thousands of protesters rallied in Bengaluru on Thursday, demanding the resignation of India’s Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over a nationwide voter list revision that has led to the removal of more than 130 million names from electoral rolls. The demonstrators, including members of the youth-led “Cockroach” movement and various student groups, intensified their campaign amid allegations that the voter purge has disproportionately targeted opposition supporters.

The protests occurred a day after prominent opposition leader Rahul Gandhi was briefly detained by police during a demonstration in New Delhi. Footage of Gandhi being forcibly taken into custody circulated widely on social media, fueling public outrage and adding momentum to calls for reforms within the Election Commission.

The revision, known as the Special Intensive Revision, has been conducted across most Indian states and federally administered territories since earlier this year. More than 130 million voters have been removed from the rolls so far, a figure exceeding the populations of countries such as Japan and the Philippines. Many of those affected have filed appeals to contest their exclusion.

Opposition parties argue that the exercise has been used to suppress their voter base selectively, while allegedly protecting or adding voters thought to favor Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party. The Election Commission and the central government have dismissed these accusations, maintaining that the revision seeks to eliminate duplicate, ineligible, or outdated entries to ensure cleaner electoral lists.

Tensions escalated last month following an investigative report by an Indian newspaper, which revealed that two sitting election commissioners had expressed reservations about the voter list revision process internally.

The “Cockroach” movement, which originated as an online youth campaign in May, has evolved into a nationwide force organizing protests, sit-ins, and hunger strikes. The group previously pressured the government to act following exam paper leaks, a campaign that culminated in the resignation of Modi’s education minister in July.

Additional demonstrations are planned in the coming days as opposition voices continue to press for greater transparency and accountability in the administration of India’s electoral process.