NEW DELHI: Indian police used tear gas and water cannons on Friday to disperse protesters during nationwide protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, whom opposition parties accuse of manipulating voter rolls.
The opposition Congress party protests followed a report by The Indian Express alleging that two election commissioners had raised objections to decisions concerning voter rolls and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral lists.
Indian police use water cannons to disperse demonstrators during nationwide protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, amid a controversy over the revision of electoral rolls. pic.twitter.com/5dKI1hY95Q
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) September 25, 2026
The Election Commission has rejected allegations of wrongdoing and said differences among officials were normal.
Protests Spread Across India
Demonstrations were held in at least a dozen of India’s 28 states, with protesters shouting slogans against Kumar, holding posters and demanding his resignation.
#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh | Amid heavy rain in Lucknow, Congress workers protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and demand his resignation; Police detain the protestors#VoteChori pic.twitter.com/qKbMEtnfin
— Dr Kaalika (@DrKaalika) September 25, 2026
In Chandigarh, police used water cannons after protesters climbed buses and barricades. Similar confrontations were reported in several other cities.
In New Delhi, hundreds of protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar, with some climbing police barricades. Congress leaders and supporters demanded Kumar’s removal and accused the Election Commission of compromising the electoral process.
NARENDRA MODI MUST RESIGN
The atmosphere against the vote chor is now fully charged. Ordinary citizens, including Gen Z, are back on the streets.
Gyanesh will go. And Narendra Modi n Amit Shah will have to leave their chair as well. pic.twitter.com/Ohu3KZDdwJ
— ভালোবাসার রং লাল (@True45006697) September 25, 2026
Punjab Congress leader Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said: “Theft of votes is happening across the country.”
Congress and other opposition parties have accused the Election Commission of colluding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to manipulate voter lists and influence elections.
Rahul Gandhi Accuses Election Chief
The demonstrations were triggered by the Indian Express report published on Wednesday, which said Kumar’s deputies had questioned him over changes to voter lists to benefit the BJP.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the report confirmed concerns he had raised about alleged “vote theft”.
“For three years, I have been exposing vote theft. Now, the election commissioners themselves are acknowledging it and bringing the truth to light,” Gandhi said late on Thursday.
“Gyanesh Kumar has committed treason. He should resign immediately,” Gandhi added.
The Election Commission said differences among officers were normal in any institution and maintained that its actions were lawful.
The BJP dismissed the report and accused opposition parties of running a smear campaign, saying their lack of electoral success was due to continued public support for the ruling party.
‘Cockroach’ Movement Sets Deadline
The dispute has also drawn the involvement of the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), whose movement has accused the Election Commission of manipulating voter rolls.
The CJP has given Kumar until Saturday to resign and said it would launch nationwide protests from October 2 if he does not step down, according to its founder Abhijeet Dipke.
The group had announced a nationwide “Election Commission Thik Karo” campaign and threatened a wider agitation over what it described as irregularities in the SIR process.
Opposition parties have similarly accused the election authorities of using voter-roll revisions to benefit Modi’s BJP. The BJP and Election Commission have rejected those accusations.
Election Dispute Ahead of Key Polls
The controversy comes ahead of state elections next year, including in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, and Gujarat, Modi’s home state. Both are governed by the BJP.
The dispute centres on the SIR exercise, under which electoral rolls are being revised and voter details reviewed.
The protests mark a fresh escalation in the political dispute over India’s electoral rolls.
