Mass protests sweep India demanding resignation of election chief

On October 10, 2026, India saw its largest wave yet of nationwide protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Opposition INDIA bloc parties, student groups and the youth-led 'Cockroach' movement led near-daily marches, accusing the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision of the voter rolls of stripping millions of eligible voters, mostly minorities and migrants, from the lists in a way they say benefits Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling BJP. Around 11,000 additional Central Armed Police Forces personnel were deployed in New Delhi ahead of the main march, with police detaining hundreds, including minors, as they tried to converge on the Election Commission headquarters. The government denies the allegations, saying the revision only removes duplicate entries. NPR, Al Jazeera, Business Standard and The Tribune reported baton charges and water cannon in several cities. The opposition is also preparing an impeachment motion against the commissioner. The protests mark the sharpest institutional confrontation of Modi's third term and have drawn comparisons to the 2024 farmers' agitation.