Published Oct 17, 2026 | 8:53 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 17, 2026 | 8:53 PM
Commentator Dhruv Rathee at the SFI-UK-organised protest in London on Saturday.
Synopsis: The SFI-UK organised a protest rally at London’s Parliament Square to highlight that students and members of the Indian diaspora stand with those in India, raising a fundamental democratic question: Will every citizen’s vote be counted?
The Students Federation of India (SFI) in the United Kingdom held a demonstration in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in London’s Parliament Square on Saturday, 17 October, opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in India and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The organisers said over a thousand people attended the protest on Saturday.
Political commentator and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, SFI Central Executive Committee member Nikhil Mathew, SFI UK president Nupur Paliwal, vice-president Aparna, joint secretary Vishal and members Gayathri and Radhika addressed the gathering of over a thousand people, the organisation said.
The protest aimed to highlight that students and members of the Indian diaspora stand with those in India raising a fundamental democratic question: Will every citizen’s vote be counted?
The protesters called on the international community and the media to pay attention to developments in India. They urged the Indian government to address demands for electoral integrity rather than criminalise those raising them.
Rathee, who arrived in London from Delhi on Friday, 16 October, had called on fellow Indians to join Saturday’s protest.
“I’ve just reached London. It’s time the world sees the reality of vote chor (theft) and murderer of democracy. Join the protest tomorrow in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in parliament square at 12pm if you’re here [sic],” Rathee posted on X.
“It’s time to ring international bells,” he added in Hindi.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
