Three female journalists have accused police officers in India of sexual harassment during street protests in Delhi. The allegations were made on Saturday after police detained numerous young protesters demanding the resignation of the chief election commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar. In response, the Delhi Police stated that the complaint had been received and transferred to its crime branch for a "fair and impartial" inquiry.
Thousands of protesters gathered in Delhi and Mumbai for a third day on Sunday, calling for Kumar's resignation over significant changes to voter rolls. The Election Commission claims that the changes aim to remove duplicate and ineligible entries, with 130 million names already removed from the voters' list.
Videos circulating online depict individuals being physically removed from the Jantar Mantar protest site in central Delhi. The journalists' accusations include inappropriate touching by police officers. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi commented that women fear for their safety and that the home ministry must be held accountable.
Aahna Singh, an activist and student at Jawaharlal Nehru University, reported to Reuters that police dragged her by her hair during the protests, describing the police's actions as "brutality." The Press Club of India has called for immediate action regarding the complaints against police officers, expressing shock and dismay at the treatment of journalists.
The organization stated, "Behavior of this kind cannot be normalized in a democracy. Journalists must be allowed to work freely, without fear, and document those who gather to raise various issues."
Protesters argue that the voter-roll revision will benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Election Commission maintains that the revision is necessary, as the last update occurred nearly 25 years ago and aims to account for deceased individuals, those who have left the country, or those registered in multiple locations due to relocation.
The process has faced controversy, with opposition parties accusing Kumar of manipulating the voters' list to favor the BJP in upcoming elections. Both the BJP and the Election Commission have denied these claims.
The protests have included supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which originated as an online satirical movement. The CJP previously achieved a significant victory in July, leading to the resignation of then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan after protests for education reforms.
The CJP organized the latest protests following a report in The Indian Express indicating that Kumar's fellow election commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, had formally objected multiple times to decisions made without their knowledge. The Election Commission defended its processes, stating that differing views are part of decision-making and that all decisions were made unanimously. However, these revelations have intensified calls for Kumar's resignation.