Opposition MPs protest at Raj Ghat on day 3 of stir demanding CEC resignation

What protest did Opposition MPs hold at Raj Ghat, and what resignation were they demanding?

Opposition MPs from the INDIA bloc held a protest at Raj Ghat, the memorial dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi in Delhi. They demanded that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resign. The protest focused on the Election Commission’s functioning and its handling of the special intensive revision of electoral rolls, or SIR.

The action followed a lunch hosted by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge. It was the alliance’s second surprise protest in two days and the third day of demonstrations in the capital. Earlier, police detained several leaders near Jantar Mantar and on Parliament Street, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

The protests are part of wider demonstrations across India. Critics fear the SIR could remove genuine voters from electoral rolls and influence election outcomes. The continuing protests, police detentions and FIRs show that the dispute has expanded beyond a single rally into a broader political and institutional confrontation.

Who is the Chief Election Commissioner, and what does the Election Commission of India do?

Gyanesh Kumar is identified in the article as India’s Chief Election Commissioner, or CEC. Opposition MPs are demanding his resignation over concerns about the Election Commission’s functioning and its handling of the special intensive revision of electoral rolls.

The Election Commission of India is the constitutional body responsible for administering elections in India. Its work includes preparing and updating electoral rolls, supervising election procedures, and conducting elections to Parliament, state legislatures, and the offices of the President and Vice-President. These responsibilities make accurate voter lists central to its role.

The article focuses on the SIR because critics fear its implementation could exclude genuine electors or affect election outcomes. It also notes a Supreme Court clarification: the Commission may conduct the exercise, but it cannot decide whether a person is an Indian citizen. That distinction is central to the dispute over the CEC’s role.

How many times was Rahul Gandhi detained during the protests described in the article?

Rahul Gandhi was detained three times in less than two days during the protests described in the article. He is the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and was among the INDIA bloc leaders challenging the Election Commission’s handling of electoral-roll revision.

On Tuesday, police stopped Opposition MPs marching from Parliament towards the Election Commission headquarters and briefly detained several leaders. After their release, Gandhi and other Congress leaders entered nearby Akashvani Bhawan and held a sit-in. They remained there for several hours before being detained again.

On Wednesday, police detained Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra near Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site. The leaders were released hours later. The article also reports multiple FIRs against Gandhi over alleged assault of police personnel and obstruction, while another case concerned alleged unauthorised entry into Akashvani Bhawan.

What is a special intensive revision of electoral rolls, or SIR?

A special intensive revision of electoral rolls, or SIR, is a thorough exercise to verify, correct and update voter lists. It is intended to identify eligible electors, remove duplicate or ineligible entries, and add people who qualify. The article describes it as an electoral-roll revision exercise that began in June 2025.

The process matters because electoral rolls determine who can vote. The article reports concerns about the manner and pace of the SIR. Critics fear that genuine electors could be left off the rolls, especially if people cannot complete verification or provide required information. The article does not provide detailed procedural instructions for the exercise.

The Supreme Court upheld the exercise’s legality in May but clarified that this does not allow the Election Commission to decide whether someone is an Indian citizen. That boundary is important. The Commission can revise voter lists, but citizenship questions involve a separate legal determination.

Why do critics worry that the SIR could remove genuine voters from electoral rolls or affect election outcomes?

Critics worry that the SIR could remove genuine voters because the exercise may be implemented too quickly or through procedures that some eligible people cannot complete. The article says concerns focus on both the manner and pace of implementation. Losing a valid name from the electoral roll can mean losing the practical ability to vote.

The key mechanism is the voter list itself. Election officials use electoral rolls to determine who is registered to vote. If an eligible person is wrongly eliminated, that person may be unable to cast a ballot. If many names are removed in particular areas or groups, critics fear the changes could shape election outcomes. The article presents these as concerns, not established results.

The controversy has produced protests across several parts of India and demands for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. The Supreme Court upheld the exercise’s legality but said the Election Commission cannot decide Indian citizenship. That distinction remains important as the revision continues.

How much of India’s electoral-roll revision has taken place since the SIR began in June 2025, and which states have used it to deny services to people removed from the rolls?

The article does not state how much of India’s electoral-roll revision has been completed. It only says that the SIR began in June 2025 and has faced questions about its manner and pace. Therefore, no national percentage, total number of voters, or completed-state count can be given from this source.

It identifies the states involved only as Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states. According to the article, these states have cited the SIR to deny ration cards to people eliminated from the rolls. In some cases, police have also denied permission for their passports to be renewed. The article does not name those states or quantify the affected people.

This use of roll status has widened the controversy beyond voting. Critics are concerned that a voter-list exercise may affect access to public services and administrative documents. The article links these developments to broader demonstrations demanding the CEC’s resignation, but it gives no timetable for completing the revision.

Why can the Election Commission verify or revise voter rolls but not decide whether someone is an Indian citizen?

The Election Commission can verify and revise electoral rolls because maintaining an accurate list of eligible voters is part of administering elections. But deciding whether a person is an Indian citizen is a broader legal question. The article says the Supreme Court upheld the SIR’s legality in May while making this limit clear.

The distinction matters because a person’s name on, or removal from, a voter list should not by itself settle citizenship. Electoral-roll officials can assess information relevant to voter registration under the applicable process. They cannot turn that administrative exercise into a final ruling on nationality. The article does not identify which other authority makes citizenship decisions.

This boundary is central to the controversy. Critics fear that the SIR could exclude genuine electors and affect elections. The Supreme Court’s clarification allows the revision to proceed but prevents the Commission from treating it as authority to decide citizenship. Protests and political demands for the CEC’s resignation continue.

Key Facts:

📌 Opposition MPs protested at Raj Ghat on the third day of demonstrations.

📌 They demanded Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.

📌 The protest followed police detentions of INDIA bloc leaders.

📌 Gyanesh Kumar is the Chief Election Commissioner named in the article.

📌 The Election Commission conducts elections and maintains electoral rolls.

📌 The Supreme Court limited the Commission’s authority over citizenship decisions.

📌 Rahul Gandhi was detained three times in less than two days.