India’s opposition parties march to top court as protests over voter lists escalate

In New Delhi, India’s opposition parties marched to the Supreme Court to protest against the removal of over 130 million voters from the electoral lists, a move they claim benefits Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party. The protest, led by the Congress party and supported by the “Cockroach” youth movement, demands the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing the voter list revision of being politically motivated. Authorities responded by detaining thousands of activists and closing metro stations to prevent large-scale demonstrations. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi emphasized the protests as a defense of the constitution, while Modi’s party dismissed the activists as “anarchists.” The protests highlight tensions over electoral fairness and the role of democracy in India. QUESTION: How might the removal of millions of voters from electoral lists impact the democratic process in a country like India?