Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in New Delhi on Tuesday to voice concerns over alleged electoral manipulation in India’s 2024 parliamentary elections, with opposition leader Rahul Gandhi warning Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of potential removal and imprisonment.
Speaking at a rally organized by the INDIA bloc at Ramlila Maidan, Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of benefiting from tampered voter lists and compromised electronic voting machines. He described the 2024 elections as illegal, alleging widespread vote theft that undermines the democratic process.
“This theft of votes is no ordinary theft. This is the theft of every voice of India. This is called treason,” Gandhi stated, asserting that Gyanesh Kumar’s position as Chief Election Commissioner was secured to enable Modi’s and Home Minister Amit Shah’s continued political dominance. “Gyanesh Kumar will be removed from the post of Chief Election Commissioner. Gyanesh Kumar will go to jail,” he said.
The gathering featured a procession through central New Delhi with chants of “vote thief, leave your seat,” and was attended by prominent opposition figures including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav. Kharge called for Modi’s resignation, claiming that “only if Modi goes will democracy survive.” Gandhi emphasized that the protest transcended party lines, characterizing it as a broader defense of India’s democracy and constitutional values.
The controversy centers on a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which opposition parties contend has resulted in the unjust removal of millions of eligible voters, disproportionately affecting minority communities, particularly Muslims. Indian media reports and opposition court filings cite the removal of over 133 million names from voter lists. The Election Commission maintains that the revision aims to eliminate duplicate, deceased, and fraudulent entries, with provisions for eligible voters to be reinstated.
The BJP has strongly denied the allegations of manipulation. Senior BJP leader and Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda dismissed the protests as a “meticulously planned drama” orchestrated by politicians consistently rejected by voters. The ruling party held counter-demonstrations in west Delhi and other states such as Haryana and Maharashtra, accusing the opposition of politicizing the issue and organizing the rally on the sensitive anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Meanwhile, protesters like Nandita, a 46-year-old voter who claimed to have been removed from the electoral roll despite decades of participation, called for peaceful street demonstrations as their only recourse. Political analysts noted that the significant turnout has boosted Congress’s momentum, with some observers remarking on renewed energy around Rahul Gandhi’s leadership in the wake of these events.
As dialogues continue over the electoral revision process and allegations of unfair voter disenfranchisement, the political landscape in India remains tense ahead of forthcoming elections, with both opposition and ruling parties staking claims about the integrity of the democratic process.