KATHMANDU: India’s ‘Cockroach’ youth movement will hold a protest in Mumbai on Friday demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar against the controversial electoral roll amendment. The movement has also been incorporating issues related to the electoral process, government accountability and democratic institutions in its campaign.

The agitation, which started as an online campaign, had earlier staged massive protests against youth unemployment and leakage of exam question papers. After this, the education minister resigned. Meanwhile, students and civil society groups are also protesting at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi with similar demands.

Pressure has increased on the Election Commission over the ‘special intensive revision’ of the electoral rolls. Critics and opposition parties have alleged that the voters’ list has been changed to benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. The Election Commission and the government, however, have said that there is no wrongdoing.

Last month, The Indian Express had reported that two commissioners of the three-member Election Commission had objected to some decisions related to the revision of electoral rolls, the registration process and the digital system. The commission had interpreted it as a “divergent views and discussions” between the commissioners and not a formal written objection.

The revision of the electoral rolls, which began in Bihar, has expanded to most of the states and federally administered areas. Critics have said that millions of eligible voters may be left out of the list as it is difficult to gather the necessary documents. The Election Commission, however, has said that the purpose of the amendment is to remove duplicate and ineligible names and retain eligible voters in the list.

The Cockroach Movement, which gained national attention from the movement against question paper leakage led by Abhijit Dipke, has now included issues related to election process and democratic institutions outside the education sector.