UK diaspora protests in London over India’s electoral roll revision drew students and solidarity groups outside the High Commission of India on Tuesday evening, October 13. The demonstration supported protests in New Delhi over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demands for accountability from the Election Commission.
Organisers backed the demands of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), student groups and opposition parties, including the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the scrapping of the SIR exercise.
Described as an “Emergency Protest”, the gathering was convened by several organisations, including the South Asia Solidarity Group, Cambridge South Asian Forum Against Hindutva, Indian Workers’ Association and SOAS Ambedkar Society. A significant number of students also attended.
Protesters Raise Concerns Over Voting Rights
Participants expressed solidarity with the “Jantar Mantar 2.0 protests” in India, describing the demonstrations as part of a broader struggle to defend voting rights and freedom of assembly. Organisers said the London protest aimed to amplify the demands being raised by demonstrators in New Delhi.
Mukti Shah of the South Asia Solidarity Group said the issue extended beyond an individual official, describing it as a mass movement. Shah also argued that developments in India had wider implications for political movements and democratic rights in Britain.
Student representatives addressed the gathering and encouraged their members to organise in solidarity with protesters in India. Demonstrators carried placards criticising the CEC and condemning what they described as police brutality and sexual violence against protesters, journalists and lawyers.
These claims formed part of the demonstrators’ allegations and were not independently established by the protest itself.
Solidarity Protests Held Across the UK
The London demonstration was part of a wider series of solidarity gatherings organised across Britain. The Students’ Federation of India UK also held protests in Cardiff, Leeds and Edinburgh during the week.
The gatherings followed escalating demonstrations in New Delhi, where the CJP, student organisations and opposition parties have called for electoral reforms and Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities linked to the nationwide SIR exercise, which began in 2025.
Election Commission Defends SIR Exercise
The Election Commission has maintained that the revision is intended to update electoral rolls by identifying deceased voters, duplicate entries, people who have shifted residence and other ineligible entries.
The UK protesters reiterated their opposition to the exercise and supported demands for changes to the electoral revision process. The dispute has placed questions about electoral transparency, voter eligibility and the right to protest at the centre of demonstrations both in India and among sections of the Indian diaspora abroad.
For official information on elections in India, visit the Election Commission of India.
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