Authorities closed a central New Delhi park Friday before a fresh protest seeking the removal of India’s election chief over a voter-roll revision that critics say has disenfranchised millions.
Organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the campaign has become the focal point of opposition anger over allegations that the revised rolls favour Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling party.
The Election Commission of India, which oversees voting in the world’s most populous nation, has denied any wrongdoing.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke urged supporters to rally at the capital’s Central Park after two of his colleagues were detained for breaching security barricades at Jantar Mantar, where they had gone to wave the national flag.
Earlier this week, police removed authorisation for Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site.
On Friday, thousands of security personnel were deployed in parts of the city, with yellow-coloured metal barricades put up at key intersections.
Dipke said he was undeterred despite the possibility of being arrested ahead of Friday’s protest.
“Why are you so afraid of cockroaches?” Dipke said.
“I want to tell Narendra Modi that we are not afraid... if waving the Indian national flag lands you in jail, we are ready,” he said Thursday.
Delhi’s municipal authorities said they were closing the Central Park for two days for “administrative” reasons.
Delhi Police have barred public gatherings around Connaught Place citing concerns about public order and safety.
Violation of the orders would “attract suitable legal action”, police said Thursday, but added that they would allow “selected persons” to gather at a “suitable place”.
In recent days, the Indian capital has seen street protests over a large-scale voter roll revision exercise overseen by chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
More than 130 million names have been removed from electoral lists under the revision exercise, according to media reports.
Critics say the removals have disproportionately affected minorities, particularly Muslims.
Election authorities say the move was intended to eliminate duplicate, deceased and fraudulent entries.
Members of Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party have long alleged that large numbers of undocumented Muslim migrants from neighbouring Bangladesh have fraudulently entered India’s electoral rolls.
On Friday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh dismissed the allegations, saying the sole agenda of the opposition parties was “to destroy democratic institutions and create unrest in the country”.
“Their fight is not for electoral reform... not for Gyanesh Kumar, not for the bright future of the country’s youth,” he said at a news conference.
“Rather, this is their conspiracy to seize power by creating anarchy in the country.