Thousands of people marched in New Delhi on November 1 to oppose an electoral revision they believe favors Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The protesters also demanded the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar, who heads the country’s election commission.
The demonstrations reflect broader concerns about accountability and the ability of India’s democratic institutions to protect the rights of all citizens, rather than primarily those who support Modi. Protesters are calling on the prime minister to answer for his actions and challenging what they describe as a climate of impunity surrounding his government.
Modi rose to prominence through mass mobilizations linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or RSS, and helped strengthen the Bharatiya Janata Party before taking power. In 2001, he was appointed chief minister of Gujarat by a party decree rather than through an election.
The following year, Gujarat experienced some of the deadliest intercommunal violence in India since independence. After a fire aboard the Sabarmati Express killed 59 Hindu volunteers on February 27, 2002, attacks against Muslims spread across the state. Most estimates put the death toll above 2,000, with Muslims making up the majority of those killed, while thousands more were forced to flee.
Sources: Le Monde International.