India detains 2,000 protesters as Delhi locks down over electoral row

New Delhi authorities arrested more than 2,000 individuals, including the founder of the youth-led Cooch Behar movement, while security forces enforced strict closures across the capital. These measures aimed to prevent a gathering calling for the resignation of India’s Chief Election Commissioner, Ganesh Kumar.

Thousands of police officers and paramilitary personnel deployed throughout the city, suspending mobile internet services in the central commercial district and shutting down dozens of metro stations and markets. The crackdown targeted a planned assembly organized by the Cooch Behar movement at Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site in central Delhi.

Protesters target election commissioner

The demonstration focused on Ganesh Kumar due to modifications in voter lists that critics argue disproportionately benefit the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Although the movement intended to mobilize thousands at Jantar Mantar, security teams secured the area before the rally could commence.

An unnamed official from the Ministry of Interior confirmed to Reuters that over 2,000 people were held in Delhi. Local media reported that approximately 400 additional protesters were detained in Mumbai, the nation’s financial hub. Police have not yet issued comments regarding these detention operations.

UN rights office expresses concern

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights voiced alarm over the mass arrests conducted both prior to and during the scheduled demonstrations. Thameen Al-Kheetan, the spokesperson for the office, stated in a release: "We call on the authorities to ensure full respect for and fulfillment of the right to peaceful assembly."

Al-Kheetan further urged officials to engage in "meaningful dialogue" to address what he described as "widespread concerns." However, the Indian Mission to the United Nations in Geneva dismissed these warnings as "unwarranted," characterizing them as unjustified interference in New Delhi’s internal affairs. The mission emphasized that the right to peaceful assembly remains guaranteed under the Indian Constitution.