Tensions Flare in London as Protesters and Counter-Protesters Clash Over Indian Election Commission
Protesters and government supporters face off in London over Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and electoral roll revisions. Get the latest updates.
POLICY WIRE — London, United Kingdom — Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Square on Saturday, October 17, 2026, to voice opposition against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in India.
The event, dubbed the Stop Vote Chori protest, was organized by the Indian Overseas Congress Youth wing alongside various diaspora groups, including the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) U.K. and the South Asia Solidarity Group. Activist Dhruv Rathee served as the keynote speaker for the assembly.
While the main group chanted slogans such as Inquilab Zindabad and Vande Mataram, a smaller contingent of government supporters gathered nearby. Metropolitan Police officers maintained a separation between the two factions as tensions rose and both sides attempted to drown out the other with competing chants.
Addressing the crowd in Hindi, Mr. Rathee stated, We don’t want any foreign interference. I am here at Parliament Square to address Indians and NRIs. He further argued that the protests would continue until the Chief Election Commissioner is replaced by a candidate selected through a consensus between the government and the Leader of the Opposition.
In response to the demonstration, the India Diaspora (ID) U.K. organized a counter-protest. ID U.K. founder Hirdesh Gupta emphasized the group’s position, stating, The Indian diaspora in the U.K. stands firmly, shoulder to shoulder, with Modi Ji and his government in their vision of a strong, united and developed India.
This weekend’s activity follows a series of demonstrations that began with an emergency protest on Tuesday. These events aim to amplify demands from the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), specifically calling for the removal of Gyanesh Kumar and the cancellation of the SIR process.
The Election Commission of India has defended the SIR exercise, asserting that the initiative is necessary to maintain accurate electoral rolls by removing duplicate, deceased, or ineligible entries. A smaller protest and counter-protest had previously occurred outside the High Commission of India on Friday, October 16, 2026.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
