India's Democracy in Chains? Delhi Police Brutality Draws Fierce Opposition

Members from Supreme Court Bar Association and Supreme Court Advocates on Record Association gathers at media park in solidarity with the bars who were reportedly mistreated by the police during the ongoing CEC protests

NEW DELHI, Oct 13: Opposition leaders, lawyers and journalists accused Indian police of heavy-handed tactics during weekend demonstrations as authorities tightened security across New Delhi on Monday ahead of a fresh rally against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Thousands of security personnel were deployed across the capital for a third consecutive day, with heavy metal barricades erected and key metro stations closed before a march called by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

The protests were triggered by allegations of manipulation during a nationwide revision of voter lists, which critics claim could benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Election Commission of India, which oversees elections in the world’s most populous country, has denied any wrongdoing.

Attention has increasingly shifted to the police response following a chaotic weekend in which thousands of protesters, including members of the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement, were detained, according to local media. Most detainees, including three senior CJP leaders, have since been released.

Opposition figures accused the authorities of attempting to suppress dissent through mass detentions.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) parliamentarian John Brittas alleged that police had “manhandled, dragged, assaulted” him during Sunday's demonstrations.

“This is not merely an assault on an MP. It is an assault on democratic freedoms and the rule of law,” Brittas said.

Police did not respond to questions about the detentions or their conduct during a news conference on Sunday.

Several journalists covering the protests also said they were detained despite prominently displaying their press identification cards. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said at least 16 journalists were detained during the weekend demonstrations, describing the actions as “unacceptable”.

Gandhi, the leader of the Congress party, urged supporters to join Monday’s march towards the Supreme Court.

“There is nothing to fear,” he said on social media on Sunday. “These cowards can do absolutely nothing to us.”

Hundreds of yellow metal barricades were installed on roads leading to central Delhi, while six major metro stations remained closed as authorities prepared for another confrontation.

The CJP movement, which has millions of social media followers, has vowed to continue its protests until Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar steps down.

The demonstrations have emerged as one of the most significant political challenges of Modi’s third term, bringing together opposition parties, student groups and activists opposed to the voter roll revision.

More than 133 million names have been removed from electoral lists during the exercise, according to media reports. Critics allege that the revision has disproportionately affected minorities, particularly Muslims.

Election authorities maintain that the exercise is intended to eliminate duplicate, deceased and fraudulent entries from voter lists.