India's opposition holds mega rally seeking election chief's resignation — SkimNews
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- INDIA bloc held a massive rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the voter roll purge
- Rahul Gandhi led the protest and declared the gathering represented the voice of India's youth, women, farmers, and workers against threats to democracy
- Election Commission conducted a Special Intensive Revision that removed over 130 million names, saying it targeted duplicates and ineligible voters, not legitimate ones
- Sonia Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, Mehbooba Mufti, Supriya Sule, and Tejashwi Yadav joined Rahul Gandhi at the rally, signaling broad opposition unity
- JP Nadda accused the opposition of orchestrating a 'calculated conspiracy' to create anarchy under the guise of defending democracy
- Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) backed the rally but chose not to participate, citing a desire to remain independent from established political parties
- Delhi Police imposed strict conditions on the event, including a 5pm end time and no marches beyond designated grounds, amid prior tensions over protest crackdowns
Why it matters: The removal of 130 million names from electoral rolls has triggered a nationwide political crisis, with opposition parties charging systemic bias and the Election Commission defending its neutrality—directly challenging the credibility of India’s democratic foundation ahead of future elections.
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