Rival Indian group confronts Dhruv Rathee rally in London; police put up barricades between the two

Indian YouTuber Dhruv Rathee recently held a rally in the British capital, London, which has drawn considerable attention in political circles. The rally took place in Parliament Square, outside the UK Parliament and in front of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi. Its stated aim was to draw attention to India's democratic system, the transparency of the election process and the constitutional rights of citizens. A large number of Indians living abroad, students and social activists attended.

During the rally, a second group opposing it also arrived. Rathee's supporters and a group backing the government's policies came face to face, and slogans echoed across the area. Given the situation, the Metropolitan Police reached the spot quickly. The police put up barricades and kept the two groups apart. Videos and reports of the incident are going viral on social media.

Addressing the rally, Rathee spoke sharply about Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. He also raised the issue of alleged irregularities in the electoral rolls. He said, "Standing in front of the Parliament of Britain, the very country that once ruled over us, we have to raise our voice today for the democratic rights and free election system of our own country. This is a great contradiction."

Rathee further said that when ordinary citizens and young people are stopped from protesting peacefully inside the country, it becomes necessary to carry that message to the world from an international platform. The organisers said the main aim of the rally was to ensure that the country's elections are completely fair and transparent, and free of technical flaws.

The Indian Overseas Congress (IOC), various organisations of Indian students studying abroad and a large number of Indians living in London joined the protest. At the same time, a counter-protest against Rathee and in support of the government was started under the banner of "India Diaspora UK". Slogans were raised against each other from both sides, and the atmosphere around Parliament Square became tense.

Police set up iron barricades between the two groups and kept both at a safe distance. To prevent any violence or scuffle, police officers spoke to the coordinators of both sides, handled the situation with restraint and kept the peace in the area.

At the rally, the organisers demanded that public trust be restored in a key constitutional body such as the Election Commission of India. They particularly stressed that the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner should have the consent of both the ruling side and the opposition, so that no finger can be raised at the transparency of elections.

According to Rathee, the protest is not against any party or country, but only to protect administrative transparency and the values of democracy.