Coimbatore protesters demand Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar step down
Student and youth groups like DYFI and SFI were out on the streets in Coimbatore on Sunday, October 11, 2026, while CPI(M) protesters in Gandhipuram and AIYF members at Coimbatore Railway Station were out on Saturday, October 10, 2026, calling for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to step down.
They are accusing the BJP-led Union government of electoral malpractice through him.
The protests ramped up as Prime Minister Modi visited Chennai, with demonstrators waving black flags and chanting "Modi go back."
Police filed cases against 103 protesters
Things got tense over the weekend: police filed cases against 103 persons, including 17 women, at a roadblock in Gandhipuram, and briefly detained another group trying to block trains at Coimbatore Railway Station. All were released soon after.
Meanwhile, similar protests have popped up in Coimbatore, with DYFI and SFI at the BSNL office near Coimbatore Collectorate, CPI(M) in Gandhipuram, and All India Youth Federation at Coimbatore Railway Station. These kept the pressure on for Kumar's resignation.