Hundreds of Indian students gathered at Parliament Square in London on Saturday to protest against India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and demand the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The demonstrators raised concerns over a controversial revision of electoral rolls and called for measures to protect India’s democratic institutions.

Organisers held the demonstration under the slogan “Stop Vote Chori” (Stop Vote Theft). The Indian Overseas Congress Youth wing organised the protest, with support from UK-based Indian student groups and diaspora organisations.

Dhruv Rathee Calls for Election Commissioner’s Replacement

Indian activist Dhruv Rathee addressed the gathering as the keynote speaker. He called for the replacement of the chief election commissioner through a process agreed upon by the government and the opposition leader.

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“It is important to spread the message against ‘vote chori’ in our country,” Rathee said in Hindi.

“These protests will stop the moment the Chief Election Commissioner is replaced by a candidate that is chosen in agreement between the government and the Leader of the Opposition,” he added.

The protesters accused the BJP-led government of undermining democratic safeguards. Their demands centred on electoral transparency and the independence of India’s election authorities.

Diaspora Groups Support Demonstration

The Indian Overseas Congress Youth wing organised the London demonstration with support from several diaspora platforms.

These included Save Democracy, the UK chapter of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the South Asia Solidarity Group.

The protest formed part of wider demonstrations in India over the revision of electoral rolls and calls for Kumar’s resignation.

The controversy has intensified political debate over electoral procedures, voter registration and the independence of institutions responsible for overseeing elections.

The protesters called for changes to the election commissioner’s appointment process, arguing that agreement between the government and the opposition would help strengthen public confidence in the electoral system.