Delhi deploys 30,000 forces before protest over voter-list purge
Why it matters: The dispute over 130 million deleted voter records has become one of India’s biggest political flashpoints before state elections.
Delhi locked down parts of the capital ahead of a Saturday protest demanding that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar step down over a nationwide voter-list revision. Authorities deployed more than 30,000 police and paramilitary personnel, shut dozens of metro stations, canceled several trains and blocked roads to Jantar Mantar after the Gen Z-led Cockroach Janata Party vowed to march despite being denied permission. Opposition parties and student and farmer groups are backing the demonstration. The Election Commission and the BJP reject allegations of manipulation, but critics say the verification drive has removed 130 million names, including voters from minority communities.