India deploys thousands of police ahead of protest

NEW DELHI, Oct 9: Thousands of police were deployed across the Indian capital on Friday, a day before planned protests to demand the election commission chief step down over alleged voter-roll irregularities.

Demonstrations have erupted this month over the Election Commission of India's (ECI) "special intensive revision" of electoral rolls, which the commission says is intended to remove duplicate and ineligible voters.

Opposition parties and critics allege the exercise could disenfranchise voters to the benefit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

A wave of street protests, including in New Delhi, has attracted key leaders from India's main opposition Congress party, including Rahul Gandhi, who was briefly detained during rallies this week.
Protesters, including from the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement, are calling for mass rallies in New Delhi on Saturday.

Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in parliament, and other opposition leaders are expected to meet President DroupadiMurmu on Friday to express complaints about ECI chief Gyanesh Kumar.
The ECI, India's constitutional body responsible for conducting elections, has rejected allegations of wrongdoing.

More than 20,000 police and paramilitary officers have been deployed in the capital ahead of the protest, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.�" AFP