Authorities in India’s capital closed six metro stations and warned of traffic disruptions on Monday, 12 October 2026. This action was taken as opposition parties planned to march to the supreme court to protest a revision of voter lists.
The controversial revision has led to days of unrest in Delhi. Opposition parties and supporters of the “cockroach” youth movement have been protesting almost daily this month, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Critics claim the revision benefits Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP). The revision, which started last year, saw over 130 million names deleted from voter lists, including 30 million who could not be traced, 28 million deceased individuals, and 63 million who had relocated.
Opposition parties allege that Muslim voters and other minorities, who are less likely to support the Hindu nationalist ruling party, are disproportionately affected by these deletions. Both the poll panel and the BJP have rejected these charges.
Police detained thousands of protesters in Delhi over the weekend, including leaders of the Cockroach Janta party (CJP). The Election Commission has denied favouring any party and stated that wrongly deleted voters could re-enrol. The BJP has accused its rivals of attempting to undermine the country’s democracy by questioning legitimate electoral processes.
The main opposition Congress party announced a march to the supreme court to submit a memorandum demanding an end to what it calls “vote theft” and Kumar’s resignation. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stated on X that youth, all opposition parties, civil society groups, and those who believe in democracy would join the march.
Chief Justice Surya Kant declined a meeting request from Gandhi and the Congress delegation, advising them to approach the court legally as the issue is already being heard through judicial proceedings, according to a Congress source. Separately, the CJP said its leaders would meet Delhi police to demand a date for a peaceful protest, threatening further action if a date is not provided within 24 hours.