Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s proposed two-day visit to Meghalaya on October 4 and 5 has been cancelled amid escalating protests in New Delhi over Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The President’s Police Colour Presentation Ceremony, scheduled to be held on October 5 at Shillong’s Jawaharlal Nehru (JN) Stadium, has also been cancelled.
A government notification confirming the cancellation of Shah’s visit did not specify any reason for the decision, nor did it indicate when the visit would be rescheduled. In a separate notification, Meghalaya Police stated that the Police Colour Presentation Ceremony had been called off due to “unavoidable circumstances.” A fresh date for the event will be announced later.
Shah was expected to attend the prestigious police ceremony and take part in other official engagements during his planned visit to the state.
The cancellation comes at a time when protests against the Election Commission’s SIR exercise have intensified in the national capital. Demonstrations continued for a second consecutive day on Saturday, with around 150 protesters detained while marching towards Jantar Mantar.
Among those participating in the protests were AISA national president Neha Bora, activist Yogendra Yadav, and senior advocate Prashant Bhushan. The protesters demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and raised concerns over the electoral roll revision process.
The latest mobilisation followed Friday’s protests, during which nearly 1,000 demonstrators were detained after police and paramilitary forces prevented large groups from reaching Jantar Mantar and nearby protest sites.
Delhi Police has registered at least three FIRs in connection with the demonstrations, citing alleged violations of prohibitory orders in the national capital.
The controversy has also been fuelled by reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had, on multiple occasions over the past 10 months, objected to decisions and orders related to the SIR exercise, claiming they were issued without their knowledge or recommendation.
The Election Commission, however, has maintained that differing opinions are a normal part of institutional deliberations. It has asserted that all its decisions are legally valid and made in accordance with established statutory procedures.
In Meghalaya, the SIR exercise has already generated political and public tensions, with protests and disruptions reported during the ongoing revision process.
The cancellation of Shah’s visit and the Police Colour Presentation Ceremony is expected to draw significant attention in the state, particularly as preparations for both events had been underway. No new dates have yet been announced for either programme.