Opposition leaders and journalists allege police abuses as fresh protests break out in India

Large protests broke out in New Delhi, India, over the weekend and continued into Monday. The demonstrations were sparked by a nationwide review of voter registration lists that critics say unfairly removed minority voters. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi called on supporters to march to India's Supreme Court on Monday to demand change. Politicians and journalists also accused police of using too much force against the crowds.

Authorities deployed thousands of police officers across central Delhi for a third day in a row. They set up heavy metal barriers on key roads and shut down several major metro stations before Gandhi's march was set to begin. Gandhi leads the Congress party and urged his followers not to be afraid. "There is nothing to fear," he said on social media Sunday. "These cowards can do absolutely nothing to us."

The protests were sparked by concerns about a voter roll revision — a process that reviews and updates the list of people allowed to vote. Critics say the process wrongly removed the names of Muslim voters and other minority groups. These groups are less likely to support Prime Minister Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, also known as the BJP. The Election Commission of India has denied doing anything wrong, and the BJP has rejected the claims as well.

Election Commission data shows that more than 133 million names were removed from voter lists during the review. Of those, about 28 million had died, 63 million had moved to new places, and 30 million could not be found at all. Opposition parties argue that Muslim voters and other minorities were affected far more than other groups. Both the BJP and the Election Commission say those claims are not true.

Much of the public's attention shifted to how police handled the protests over the weekend. Thousands of demonstrators were detained, meaning they were temporarily held by police. Most were later released, including three top leaders of a youth-led group called the Cockroach Janta Party, or CJP. The CJP has millions of social media followers and has been a major force in organizing the protests.

Several elected officials said they were treated poorly by police during the demonstrations. Parliamentarian John Brittas said he was "manhandled, dragged, assaulted" by officers during Sunday's protests. "This is not merely an assault on an MP. It is an assault on democratic freedoms and the rule of law," Brittas said. Police did not answer questions about their behavior when reporters asked at a press conference.

Journalists covering the protests also reported being detained by police, even though they were clearly wearing their press identification cards. The organization Reporters Without Borders said at least 16 journalists were held over the weekend and called the actions "unacceptable." The detentions raised serious questions about whether reporters were being silenced. Freedom of the press is considered a key part of a healthy democracy.

Gandhi asked to meet with Chief Justice Surya Kant at the Supreme Court, but the request was turned down. The Chief Justice said Gandhi's party should use the normal legal process, since the issue is already being considered by the courts. The CJP said its leaders planned to meet with Delhi Police to ask for a set date for a peaceful protest. The group warned it would announce a new protest if no date was given within 24 hours.