London: Indian diaspora activists and students gathered outside the High Commission of India here on Tuesday to voice support for demonstrators in New Delhi who are demanding electoral reforms and the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, PTI reported.
The “Emergency Protest” was organised by a coalition of UK-based groups, including the South Asia Solidarity Group, Cambridge South Asian Forum Against Hindutva, the Indian Workers’ Association and the SOAS Ambedkar Society. Students formed a significant part of the crowd, with speakers linking the London demonstration to the “Jantar Mantar 2.0” movement and what they described as a wider battle in India to protect democratic rights.
Calls For Electoral Reforms
Organisers said the protest was intended to draw international attention to the demands raised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and allied groups in India. These include the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the withdrawal of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, an exercise that began last year.
“This is not just about one corrupt official, it is a mass uprising,” said Mukti Shah of the South Asia Solidarity Group. “For us in Britain, it is especially important because this regime is a key player in the global far-right, which is increasingly active in this country.”
Student representatives also addressed the gathering, urging those present to build sustained solidarity with protesters in India. Demonstrators displayed placards directed at the Chief Election Commissioner and alleged police excesses, including what they described as brutality and sexual violence against protesters, journalists and lawyers.
Protests Spread Across UK
The London action was one of several solidarity events held in Britain during the week. The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) UK organised separate gatherings in Cardiff, Leeds and Edinburgh, reflecting growing concern among sections of the diaspora over the situation in Delhi.
The demonstrations come amid escalating tensions in the national capital, where the CJP, student organisations and Opposition parties have pressed for electoral reforms and Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the SIR process.
The Election Commission has maintained that the revision is a routine measure to update voter lists by identifying deceased persons, duplicate entries, people who have shifted residence and others who are no longer eligible to vote.
Delhi Standoff
The CJP’s proposed “Jantar Mantar 2.0” demonstration on October 10 sought the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner, the scrapping of the SIR and an independent mechanism for appointing Election Commissioners. Delhi Police had denied permission for the protest, citing law-and-order and public-safety concerns, and made large-scale detention ahead of the planned mobilisation.