India, Sept. 30 -- High drama unfolded outside Nirvachan Sadan, the headquarters of the Election Commission of India (ECI), as police detained dozens of Left Party cadres and senior leaders during a protest demonstration demanding the removal of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and an immediate halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.

The demonstration, part of a week-long nationwide agitation called by Left parties, saw leaders and workers marching towards the gates of the ECI head office before being stopped and removed by security personnel. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) strongly condemned the police action, alleging that brutal force was used against peaceful demonstrators and that women protesters were man...