The younger generation may have heard or read about the Emergency imposed in India in 1975, but the events in New Delhi on 10 October 2026 raise disturbing questions and resembles with undeclared emergency in India today. Allegations of electoral irregularities, questions over the independence of the Election Commission of India (ECI), and the excessive use of police force against protesters point towards increasing danger to Indian democracy under the current regime.
Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) leaders Abhijit Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were detained inside an aircraft after landing in New Delhi. Thousands of police personnel, Rapid Action Force units and paramilitary forces were deployed across the capital, with barricades erected at major junctions. Thousands of young people, students and CJP supporters were detained. Supreme Court advocates and journalists were reportedly not spared. More than 200 trains bound for Delhi were cancelled, while 45 metro stations were shut down. These measures were reportedly taken to prevent a CJP-led protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The following day, opposition parties organised a protest march towards the Supreme Court of India and submitted a petition concerning alleged irregularities in the functioning of the Election Commission and the deletion of voters’ names through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Hundreds of people joined the march, bringing electoral integrity and citizens’ voting rights to the centre of the political debate.
Meanwhile, the authorities withdrew permission for Jantar Mantar as a designated protest venue after denying the CJP permission to demonstrate there. Defying the decision, CJP leaders entered the site and unfurled the national flag, but were again arrested and sent to judicial custody. The incident carries particular significance because a CJP-led youth movement had started at Jantar Mantar in June over the NEET question-paper leak. The movement subsequently spread across India and eventually led to the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The Election Commission and the Crisis of Credibility
The protests stem from serious concerns about the independence and credibility of the Election Commission. One major controversy concerns changes to the selection process for election commissioners, particularly the removal of the Chief Justice of India from the selection committee and the inclusion of two representatives of the Union government alongside the Leader of the Opposition. They argue that the Chief Election Commissioner single-handedly took the decision and deleted mass voters, helping the BJP party.
Another concern relates to the legal protection provided to the Chief Election Commissioner, which has prompted questions about institutional accountability.
Allegations of a compromised Election Commission are not new. However, the controversy gained renewed attention following an investigative report published by The Indian Express on 23 September 2026. According to the report, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over approximately 10 months concerning decisions related to voter registration, deletion and restoration of names, appeals, and control over the electoral-roll database.
These reported disagreements have intensified concerns about the management of electoral rolls and the allegations of vote chori. The inclusion or deletion of a voter’s name is not merely an administrative matter; it directly affects a citizen’s ability to exercise the right to vote. Such allegations therefore demand transparent investigation, credible explanations and effective remedies for affected voters.
Protest, Police Suppression and Democratic Rights
The concerns surrounding electoral integrity are serious because free and fair elections are fundamental to democracy. Equally troubling is the police crackdown on protesters, including students, political leaders, journalists and advocates, alongside restrictions on protest venues and disruptions to public transport.
Citizens have a constitutional right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and protest. They also have the right to criticise the government and question public institutions when they believe those institutions are not functioning impartially or lawfully. The Election Commission, like any other constitutional institution, must remain open to public scrutiny and criticism.
The state does have the responsibility to maintain law and order. However, restrictions on protests and the excessive use of police force are condemnable. Detentions and restrictions imposed on peaceful demonstrators are not acceptable. Otherwise, it is the act of crushing dissent and undermining public confidence in democratic institutions.
The reported developments in New Delhi raise questions about whether the authorities are responding to public concerns through institutional accountability or suppressing dissent through coercive measures. Electoral irregularities undermine citizens’ voting rights and therefore, peaceful protests are justified.
Danger to Democracy?
We are livening in the era of a crucial moment in India that raises increasing alarm. All the events and incidents collectively raise concerns about increasing danger to democracy: a situation in which the election commission itself is involved in mass disenfranchisement with the millions of voting rights are under threat, exercising the right to right to peaceful demonstrations becomes increasingly difficult, and police power is forcefully used against dissenters.
The Chief Election Commissioner must address concerns about electoral-roll management transparently, while the government must ensure that peaceful protests are protected as democratic rights. Citizens must be able to question public institutions without fear of arbitrary detention or intimidation.
Democracy is not defined merely by the regular conduct of elections. It also depends on the integrity of electoral processes, the independence of constitutional institutions and the protection of citizens’ fundamental rights. When questions about electoral integrity coincide with restrictions on peaceful dissent, the resulting crisis demands serious public resistance before democracy goes into decline.
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