Indian police detained hundreds of people in New Delhi on Saturday, October 10, ahead of a planned protest against the chairman of the Election Commission, Gyanesh Kumar, Reuters reported. Authorities mobilised thousands of police and paramilitary forces, imposed movement restrictions, and closed several metro stations and markets to prevent the demonstration. Organised by a youth movement called “Beetles,” the protest took place amid controversy over the revision of India’s electoral lists. Opposition parties said the process could affect the voting rights of a large number of citizens and would benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Election Commission and the BJP rejected those claims. Among those detained were Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the movement, as well as leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. According to a statement from the group, the three were detained after their flight arrived from Mumbai in New Delhi. Television images later showed Dipke verbally confronting police officers on board the aircraft, where he said, “Am venit să fiu arestat, arestați-mă... Nu mi-e frică de voi” (“I came to be arrested, arrest me... I’m not afraid of you”), according to Reuters. An officer responded telling him, “Nu, aceasta nu este o arestare. Vă rugăm să cooperați” (“No, this is not an arrest. Please cooperate”). Police isolated the Jantar Mantar area, a location known for public demonstrations in the capital. The group said it intended to continue protesting despite the detentions and other measures taken by authorities. Smaller demonstrations took place elsewhere, including near a handicrafts market and close to a monument dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. Protesters chanted slogans calling for the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar. Authorities installed checkpoints on major roads and at entry points into the capital, checked vehicles, and boarded buses to identify potential protesters. The source also reports that mobile internet services were suspended in the central business district, while some metro stations and markets were closed. The row is linked to claims that about 130 million records were removed during the electoral list verification process coordinated by Gyanesh Kumar. The Election Commission said eligible people excluded in error could register again and said the removals followed checks of preliminary lists, according to Reuters. Reports cited by Reuters said two election commissioners disagreed with parts of the verification work. The source further states that some politicians from the opposition were among those detained, including Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal. Several journalists were also detained briefly while covering protests.