India opposition leaders briefly detained in election protest
Summary
Indian police briefly detained opposition leader Rahul Gandhi during a protest in New Delhi over the election commission’s large-scale revision of voter lists. The opposition says the exercise could disenfranchise voters, while the commission says it is meant to clean up electoral rolls and prevent fraud.
Key Points
- Rahul Gandhi was briefly detained during a protest march demanding the resignation of India’s election chief over voter-list revisions.
- Opposition leaders accuse the Election Commission of acting in favor of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP and warn the changes could disenfranchise voters.
- The Election Commission says the revision is intended to improve the accuracy of electoral rolls and block fraudulent registrations.
- India’s Supreme Court has ordered the government and the election body to explain the decisions behind the revision exercise.
