New Delhi Under Lockdown Ahead of Protests Against Election Chief
· India · Al Jazeera, NPR, Indian Express
Police have deployed 30,000 personnel and established heavy barricades across New Delhi to block planned demonstrations against India’s election chief. Authorities have detained several leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party, including founder Abhijeet Dipke, at the New Delhi airport and other locations. The government has implemented sweeping security measures, including the cancellation of all trains to the capital, the closure of over 50 metro stations, and a city-wide internet shutdown. Protesters are demanding the reversal of a voter revision exercise that removed 130 million names from the national electoral list. Demonstrators have pledged to continue their efforts despite the widespread crackdown and the detention of student participants across multiple states.
Why it matters
The mass detention of protesters and the suspension of transport and internet services in the capital significantly restrict civil liberties and raise concerns regarding the integrity of the electoral process in India.
Read the original report — Al Jazeera
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