India’s opposition parties march to top court as protests over voter lists escalate

Published: 05:16 EDT, 12 October 2026 | Updated: 05:16 EDT, 12 October 2026

NEW DELHI (AP) – India´s opposition parties marched toward the Supreme Court on Monday to protest a purge of voter lists they say favors Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party, after police detained thousands of activists over the weekend in a sweeping crackdown.

Opposition lawmakers and their supporters sought to submit a petition to the chief justice demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Protests led by the “Cockroach” youth movement have intensified since election authorities began the revision last year, removing more than 130 million voters from the lists. Critics say the process is politically motivated and risks disenfranchising eligible voters. Modi´s Bharatiya Janata Party and the Election Commission deny allegations of manipulation, saying the move is needed to remove duplicate and ineligible names.

Ahead of the march, authorities closed six metro stations in the capital on Monday and warned of traffic disruptions.

Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party described the growing protests as a fight to defend the constitution.

“We will not back down,” he told reporters in New Delhi.

Security personnel in riot gear arrive to escort workers of India’s opposition Congress party as they gather for a march toward the Supreme Court demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi, India, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Police detained thousands of demonstrators in New Delhi over the weekend, including leaders of the “Cockroach” movement. Earlier protests led by the group forced the resignation of Modi´s education minister in July.

Modi has not publicly commented on the protests, but leaders of his party have dismissed them, with some calling the activists “anarchists.”

Workers of India’s opposition Congress party shout slogans atop a bus as they gather for a march toward the Supreme Court demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi, India, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

A commuter watches as security personnel arrive to escort workers of India’s opposition Congress party gathering for a march toward the Supreme Court to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi, India, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Security personnel watch as workers of India’s opposition Congress party gather for a march toward the Supreme Court demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi, India, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

A security personnel member arrives to escort workers of India’s opposition Congress party as they gather for a march toward the Supreme Court demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi, India, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

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