Police detain protesters marching against electoral roll revision

Delhi Police detained several protesters on October 23 as farmers, students, trade unions and civil society groups marched toward the Election Commission of India headquarters to demand the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Police barricades stopped the march near Bangla Sahib Gurdwara, a short distance from the commission’s office. The protest was called by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha and People Against SIR, a coalition of civic groups. Participants carried national flags and banners and chanted slogans against the revision, which organisers say risks removing eligible voters from electoral rolls. The Election Commission has said the exercise is intended to ensure the accuracy of the rolls. Organisers sought restoration of voting rights for people they say were removed, withdrawal of the revision and Kumar’s removal. They also called for his prosecution. The claims of voter deletion and irregularities were not independently substantiated in the reports of the demonstration; the number of affected eligible voters, if any, was not established. Participants included representatives of...