Barricades, tens of thousands of police and paramilitary personnel as well as right-wing goons were deployed to stop the protests against vote rigging.
What does authoritarianism sound like?
In Delhi’s posh Connaught Place on Saturday, it was the drone of automated police announcements, broadcast on loop from loudspeakers fitted on spiked poles.
“Making groups, taking out marches or any other action is barred,” a robotic voice announced. “Everyone should peacefully move out from here and follow the police’s orders.”
A few feet away, the intersection bristled with paramilitary troops waiting to pounce on any protester they could spot. On the other side was a wall of yellow barricades. The street was empty. The Delhi Police had blocked off almost all traffic to Connaught Place, the city centre.
This unprecedented bandobast was intended to stop demonstration against Gyanesh Kumar, India’s Chief Election Commissioner, who protestors allege has rigged the voter rolls to favour the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
On Saturday, the Modi government pulled out all stops to protect Kumar.
Shoaib Daniyal is a staff writer with Scroll.in
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