New Delhi. Protests have been called for in Delhi and Mumbai on Friday amid the ongoing controversy over voter list revision and the functioning of the Election Commission. Student organisations, social workers and Cockroach Janata Party i.e. CJP have raised the demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Jantar Mantar in Delhi and Shivaji Park in Mumbai were announced as protest sites.
The protesters allege that the process of amending the voter list has affected electoral fairness. The Election Commission and the government have rejected these allegations. The Commission says that the purpose of voter verification is to ensure accuracy of the list by removing names of double, dead and ineligible voters.
The situation regarding permission for demonstrations has also been controversial. According to an October report, Delhi Police had not given permission to the proposed event at Jantar Mantar. Mumbai Police had advised the organizers to find an alternative venue, citing Shivaji Park being a quiet area and the court order.
Opposition parties have also announced separate campaigns on issues related to the Election Commission. At the center of this controversy is the question of transparency of the voter list, rights of eligible voters and trust in the electoral process.