‘Save Democracy’ Protests Enter Third Day Across India, Opposition Demands EC’s Resignation

Indian opposition parties enter a third day of protests demanding Election Commission Chief Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over mass voter roll deletions and transparency concerns

Desk Report

Oct 5, 2026, 06:03 AM2 min read

‘Save Democracy’ Protests Enter Third Day Across India, Opposition Demands EC’s Resignation

Many protesters voiced anger at India’s chief election commissioner over alleged irregularities in a major voter-roll revision.

Indian opposition activists took to the streets for a third consecutive day on Sunday, demanding the resignation of Election Commission of India (ECI) chief Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of irregularities in a large-scale revision of voter rolls.

Thousands of protesters marched in Mumbai, carrying Indian flags and placards calling for Kumar to step down. Opposition groups allege that millions of names have been removed from voter lists, raising concerns about the fairness of future elections. The ECI has rejected the allegations, while Kumar has not publicly commented.

According to AFP, protests also took place in New Delhi, where police deployed heavily around India Gate and prevented demonstrators from gathering. The protests followed allegations by three female journalists that police officers sexually harassed them during Saturday's demonstrations.

Delhi police said they had launched a “fair and impartial enquiry” into the allegations. The Press Club of India also expressed concern over the treatment of journalists, saying the media must be allowed to work freely.

The Supreme Court is expected to hear petitions related to the voter-list decisions on Monday. Opposition parties have also announced plans for a march to the Election Commission in New Delhi on Tuesday and nationwide “Save Democracy” rallies.

A Supreme Court judge, Ujjal Bhuyan, meanwhile criticised voter deletions in a speech, saying a process that disenfranchises millions would be “intrinsically arbitrary,” according to Indian legal news outlet Bar and Bench.

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