LONDON, Oct. 14: Several diaspora organisations in the United Kingdom staged an emergency protest outside the High Commission of India in London on Tuesday, expressing solidarity with demonstrators in New Delhi who are campaigning for electoral reforms and the protection of democratic rights.
The demonstration was organised by groups including the South Asia Solidarity Group, Cambridge South Asian Forum Against Hindutva, Indian Workers’ Association and SOAS Ambedkar Society. A significant number of students joined the gathering, voicing support for the ongoing protests at Jantar Mantar in the national capital.
Participants said their demonstration aimed to highlight concerns over the right to vote and the freedom to protest in India. They also sought to draw international attention to the demands raised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), including the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Addressing the gathering, Mukti Shah of the South Asia Solidarity Group described the demonstrations as a broader public movement rather than a campaign directed against an individual official.
“This is not just about one corrupt official, it is a mass uprising,” Shah said, adding that developments in India were also significant for people in Britain because of what she described as the growing international influence of far-right politics.
Representatives of student organisations also addressed the protesters, urging students and community members to strengthen their support for those participating in demonstrations across India.
Placards displayed at the gathering criticised the Chief Election Commissioner and condemned alleged police brutality and sexual violence against protesters, journalists and lawyers. These allegations were raised by the demonstrators as part of their broader concerns over the handling of the protests.
The London demonstration was part of a wider campaign by diaspora and student organisations seeking to express solidarity with the movement in India. The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) UK also organised solidarity gatherings in Cardiff, Leeds and Edinburgh during the week.
In New Delhi, demonstrations involving the CJP, student groups and opposition parties have intensified, with protesters demanding changes to the electoral process and the resignation of Kumar. Their objections centre on alleged irregularities associated with the revision of electoral rolls under the SIR exercise, which began last year.
The protesters have questioned the transparency and implementation of the process, arguing that electoral reforms are necessary to safeguard democratic participation and public confidence in elections.
The Election Commission, however, maintains that the revision exercise is intended to improve the accuracy of electoral rolls. According to the poll authority, the process seeks to identify and remove entries relating to deceased voters, duplicate registrations, people who have shifted residence and other ineligible entries.
The controversy has triggered a wider debate over electoral administration, accountability and the rights of citizens to participate in democratic processes. While demonstrators continue to press for changes, the Election Commission has defended the stated purpose of the revision exercise.
The London protest underscored how the dispute over electoral rolls in India has also drawn the attention of sections of the Indian diaspora, with student groups and community organisations taking their demands beyond the country’s borders.