Dozens of Indian Opposition Leaders Detained in Rare Election Protest

 

On August 11, New Delhi witnessed a rare show of defiance as around 300 Indian opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party, were detained while protesting alleged electoral malpractice. The leaders marched from parliament toward the Election Commission, shouting slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and accusing authorities of “stealing” elections. They attempted to breach police barricades before being taken away in buses.

Rahul Gandhi declared the protest a fight to “save the constitution,” demanding a “clean, pure voters’ list.” The opposition alleges that electoral rolls in certain states have been manipulated by deleting or duplicating names to favor Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Concerns escalated after the Election Commission revised the voters’ list in Bihar ahead of state polls, a move critics claim could disenfranchise poor voters.

The BJP and the Election Commission firmly denied the allegations, stating that voter list revisions are routine, aimed at removing deceased or relocated voters, and that all complaints are addressed thoroughly. BJP leaders accused the opposition of attempting to undermine trust in India’s electoral process, labeling them “bankrupt” after repeated electoral defeats.

This confrontation comes at a politically sensitive time for Modi, whose party lost its outright majority in last year’s parliamentary elections and now depends on regional allies. The Congress party, despite strong expectations, underperformed in two recent state elections. In addition to voter list concerns, the opposition has criticized electronic voting machines and vote counting procedures—charges the Election Commission rejects.

The protest underscores a growing distrust between India’s ruling party and the opposition, raising questions about the robustness of democratic institutions in the world’s most populous democracy.