Indian police detain more than 1,000 over protest demanding election chief’s resignation as New Delhi lockdown seals off rally site

Indian authorities detained more than 1,000 people in New Delhi on Saturday as a protest movement sought the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over disputed voter-roll revisions and alleged collusion with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Those detained included protesters, opposition politicians, journalists, student leaders, lawyers and leaders of the “Cockroach” youth movement.

The dispute centers on the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of voter lists. The opposition says the process has disenfranchised eligible voters; the government and Election Commission deny manipulating the rolls and say the revision is intended to remove duplicate and ineligible entries. More than 130 million names have been removed so far, according to the Associated Press.