What to know about nationwide protests in India over voter list changes

A protester wears a mask depicting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar with the words "vote theft" during a protest organized by Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena , demanding his resignation and the suspension of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, in Mumbai, India, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. Rafiq Maqbool/AP hide caption Rafiq Maqbool/AP NEW DELHI — Protests have spread across India in the past week as opposition parties and civil society groups demand the resignation of the country's election chief over alleged manipulation of voter lists. The campaign has been led in part by India's "Cockroach" youth movement, which previously organized street protests that forced the education minister to resign in July. Protesters demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and an end to the poll body's ongoing revision of voter lists. They accuse the revision could disenfranchise millions of voters and benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP. The commission and government deny any wrongdoing. Here's what to know: Voter list changes fueling the protests India is the world's lar...