Indian opposition defies lockdown, marches to demand election chief sacking

Key Points:

• Rahul Gandhi led thousands of protesters and opposition MPs in a tense march to the Supreme Court demanding the resignation of Election Commission chief Gyanesh Kumar, amid heavy police barricades preventing physical access to the court.
• The opposition accuses the Election Commission of bias toward Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP, citing the removal of over 130 million voters, allegedly disenfranchising minorities and vulnerable groups, and calls for Kumar to be tried for treason.
• Police deployed over 30,000 officers in New Delhi to curb protests, resulting in clashes and detentions of demonstrators, including MPs, signaling a harsher crackdown compared to previous rallies.
• Youth-led protest movements like the Gen Z “Cockroach” movement are adopting guerrilla tactics, organizing spontaneous flash rallies and evading police to maintain momentum against the Modi government.
• Analysts note a shift from humor to anger among protesters, with the opposition increasingly taking the lead in challenging Modi’s decade-long rule, while the government faces challenges managing disruptions in central New Delhi.