India Opposition Marches to Top Court to Oust Election Chief — SkimNews
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- Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge filed a petition with the Supreme Court challenging the electoral roll revision that has struck tens of millions of names from voter rolls.
- Chief Justice Surya Kant said the matter was already sub judice but assured the petition "shall be heard at the earliest possible opportunity, in accordance with the law."
- Opposition parties allege the voter roll revision benefits PM Modi's BJP; both the Election Commission and the BJP reject the charge.
- The CJP pressure group was blocked from marching to Jantar Mantar over the weekend — authorities cancelled trains, shut dozens of metro stations and detained thousands, including several journalists.
- The Home Ministry announced demonstrations will no longer be permitted at Jantar Mantar, listing three alternative sites should permission be granted.
- CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, and Ashutosh Ranka were dramatically detained from a plane as they landed in Delhi to join the weekend protest.
- Reporters Without Borders condemned the detention of at least 16 Indian journalists; the BBC captured footage of a policeman slapping a detained protester inside a bus.
Why it matters: Opposition allegations that tens of millions of voters were improperly purged now reach the Supreme Court, with Chief Justice Kant pledging an early hearing — but the Home Ministry's decision to close Delhi's main protest site suggests authorities are simultaneously limiting where citizens can challenge the electoral roll changes.
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