Indian Democracy Faces Grave Danger Under Modi

The Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi faces mounting backlash over allegations that millions of Muslim voters have been removed from India’s electoral rolls. Opposition leaders argue that the voter list revision in the nation of 1.4 billion people unfairly disenfranchises citizens, benefiting the ruling party while systematically targeting minorities.

According to opposition claims, over 130 million names were purged under the guise of removing fake, deceased, or ineligible entries following directives from the Election Commission. In protest, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and hundreds of opposition lawmakers demonstrated in New Delhi, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the annulment of the revised voter rolls, and a return to paper ballots.

Police dispersed the demonstrators in New Delhi, briefly detaining Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to maintain order. Opposition parties accuse Commissioner Kumar of carrying out the revision on Modi’s orders to favor the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The protest follows demonstrations four days prior by youth activists in Mumbai and Delhi, who announced nationwide actions including further protests on October 10.
The special intensive revision began in Bihar in June 2025 before expanding to other regions. Opponents allege that India’s 200 million Muslims have been disproportionately targeted because they are less likely to support Modi’s party.

Tens of millions were flagged for removal over alleged data discrepancies, leaving many alive individuals struggling to prove their existence after being falsely listed as deceased. With millions of appeals still pending, affected citizens were barred from voting earlier this year, forcing thousands to travel hundreds of miles back to their native villages to submit verification documents.
Ruksana Amir, a resident of Athorobanki in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas, told The Telegraph: “We live hand-to-mouth; a major portion of our savings went into traveling back to the village just to save our voting rights.” She added that her uncle’s family of four was also disenfranchised after traveling twice from Mumbai to complete paperwork.

India’s Supreme Court issued notices to the Modi government, the Election Commission, and Commissioner Kumar following a petition alleging that Kumar acted unilaterally without full commission approval. Former Supreme Court Justice Rohinton Nariman remarked, “The heart of our democracy, which is the right to vote, is in grave danger today.”

Source: The Telegraph