India’s protest movements unite in New Delhi to challenge Modi

Security personnel ahead of a “Save the Vote, Save the Country” protest at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on Sunday. | BLOOMBERG

BLOOMBERG

Nov 2, 2026

Tens of thousands of protesters poured into central New Delhi on Sunday in a largely peaceful protest that represented a show of unity among disparate opposition groups, in one of the biggest rallies against Prime Minister Narendra Modi since he took power in 2014.

Opposition supporters marched toward Ramlila Maidan — a sprawling area in the heart of the capital that has hosted some of the nation’s biggest political demonstrations — as part of a series of protests over a voter roll scandal. The rally began to disperse at about 5 p.m. local time.

Modi had earlier accused the opposition of conspiring to divide the country and obstruct its development, underscoring the political tensions surrounding the weekslong dispute. It centers around a sweeping voter-roll revision that critics allege is disenfranchising legitimate voters after millions of names were excluded from draft lists. The Election Commission denies any wrongdoing.

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