NEW DELHI: Thousands of protesters marched in New Delhi demanding the resignation of India's election chief over alleged misconduct during a voter roll revision, the latest showdown with authorities in the heavily fortified capital. Opposition parties and supporters of the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party protest movement have taken to the streets in recent days, defying a strict security clampdown to demand a halt to the revision exercise and the resignation of the chief election commissioner. The Election Commission of India, which oversees the voting process in the world's most populous nation, has denied wrongdoing.
Authorities deployed thousands of security personnel across central Delhi for a third straight day, erecting heavy metal barricades and closing key metro stations. The protests on Monday were led by Rahul Gandhi of the main opposition Congress party, who waved a copy of the constitution as crowds cheered during the procession to the Supreme Court. He later filed a writ petition in the court through his lawyer, challenging the voter revision exercise.
Public attention has also focused on the police response, after a chaotic weekend in which thousands of protesters including organisers were detained, according to local media reports. Most of those detained, including three top leaders of the "cockroach" movement, have since been released. — AFP
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