‘Baton can stop a crowd, not questions’: Rahul on 'vote chori' protests

• Rahul Gandhi backs protests demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, saying "a baton can stop a crowd, but not questions".

• More than 1,000 protesters reportedly detained in Delhi as demonstrations against ECI spread to Mumbai and other parts of India.

• Protests centre on alleged irregularities in electoral-roll revisions and reported objections by two election commissioners to decisions linked to the SIR.

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday, 2 October backed protests against the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging that young protesters were being detained for questioning "vote chori (theft)" and demanding the resignation of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

His remarks came as protests against the poll panel spread across Delhi and Mumbai on Gandhi Jayanti, with demonstrators demanding greater transparency in the electoral process and action over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls. More than 1,000 protesters were detained in Delhi, according to media reports, after hundreds gathered at Jantar Mantar despite police denying permission for the demonstration.

In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said thousands of young people were on the streets 'against vote theft' and were exercising their constitutional right peacefully and without violence. 'Their demand is clear: Gyanesh Kumar must resign. Save democracy,' he wrote.

He accused the Modi-Shah government of responding by having young men and women 'dragged' off the streets and said their 'crime' was to question alleged vote theft. 'This is what Bapu taught us — speak the truth, fight peacefully. And this is what frightens this government the most,' Gandhi wrote.

'A baton can stop a crowd, but it cannot stop questions,' he added. 'Gyanesh Kumar will go. And so will the system that put him there.'

The protests in Delhi were organised by Opposition parties, youth organisations and activists against the ECI’s handling of electoral-roll revisions, including the special intensive revision (SIR). Demonstrators have alleged that the revision process could result in the wrongful deletion of eligible voters and have demanded that the electoral rolls be protected from further changes.

Police denied permission for the Delhi demonstration and deployed large numbers of personnel around Jantar Mantar and adjoining areas. More than 1,000 people were reportedly detained as police moved to disperse protesters, with opposition leaders and activists among those taken into custody.

The action followed a series of protests against Kumar and the ECI in different parts of the country. In Mumbai, thousands gathered at Shivaji Park for a demonstration organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), despite police denying permission. Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah was among those present, while the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena extended support to the agitation.

The CJP has demanded Kumar’s resignation and greater transparency in the appointment of the chief election commissioner. It has also called for the 2025 electoral roll to be frozen, arguing that it should not be "tampered with further".

'Young people cannot remain silent when there are questions over the electoral process,' Gandhi also said in his post, adding that the ECI was responsible for protecting the sanctity of every vote.

The protests come as Opposition parties intensify their campaign against the ECI, with the Congress and other groups accusing the poll panel of failing to provide adequate answers on electoral-roll revisions.