Thousands of protesters led by India’s main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, are marching towards the Supreme Court in New Delhi to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral fraud and the removal of millions of names from voter lists.
The demonstration, dubbed the “March for Democracy,” is being led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who has accused the authorities of threatening India’s democratic principles and constitutional protections.
Gandhi, who was briefly detained last week, said that Indians were engaged in a “fight to protect democracy and the constitution”, urging citizens to “raise your voice from wherever you are.”
The protesters intend to submit a memorandum to the Supreme Court calling for Kumar’s resignation. However, Chief Justice Surya Kant has declined to meet the opposition leaders, citing cases already pending before the court concerning the revision of electoral rolls.
The revision has reportedly removed 130 million people from voter lists, a development that has drawn criticism from opposition parties and other groups questioning the electoral process.
Gandhi was joined by dozens of opposition leaders, activists and students affiliated with left-wing organisations, alongside members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The opposition leader travelled by bus to the Barakhamba Road junction in central New Delhi, from where the march to the court was scheduled to begin.
Authorities have deployed tens of thousands of security personnel ahead of the demonstration, while six metro stations have been closed as officials prepare for possible confrontations.
BJP Rejects Opposition’s Criticism
The governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has rejected the opposition’s criticism, accusing Congress of attacking constitutional institutions after electoral defeats. Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told the media at BJP headquarters on Monday, “For the past few years, the Congress has taken to attacking the constitution.” “And when they lose elections, they blame constitutional institutions,” he said, referring to the Election Commission.
Chouhan also defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s political support.
“But they can’t remove the love in the hearts of 1.4 billion Indians for Prime Minister Modi.I say this with sadness but the Congress today is among the forces that are trying to break India.”
Shivraj Singh Chouhan
BJP Spokesman Gaurav Bhatia separately accused Gandhi of engaging in “political theatre,” as the governing party pushed back against the opposition’s allegations.
Police Removes Jantar Mantar’s Designation As Protest Site
Meanwhile, Delhi Police have announced that Jantar Mantar, a prominent protest site in New Delhi that has hosted demonstrations and mass movements for decades, will no longer be designated as an authorised protest venue.
The decision follows a request by the CJP to hold another demonstration at the site on Saturday. The group was barred from protesting there, while more than 7,000 people were arrested in efforts to prevent them from reaching the location, according to the information provided.
On Monday, the CJP again sought police permission to stage a protest at Jantar Mantar. However, a police notification said a committee under the Ministry of Home Affairs had decided to remove the site’s designated status.
The committee recommended three alternative venues for demonstrations: Ramlila Maidan, CBD Ground and Burari Ground.
Jantar Mantar has been a focal point for public campaigns seeking accountability from successive Indian governments. It also served as a gathering point during the youth-led protests that reportedly pressured Modi to dismiss his education minister in July following a series of examination leaks.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke condemned the decision to remove Jantar Mantar’s status as a designated protest site. “It’s no longer a protest site, as ‘anyway it was turned into a war zone by the coward dictator’,” Dipke wrote in a post on X. “Now, the entire country will become Jantar Mantar!” he added in Hindi.
The youth-led “Cockroach” movement has threatened to stage another demonstration on Tuesday if it is not permitted to rally at Jantar Mantar.
The developments place electoral disputes and access to public protest at the centre of an escalating political confrontation in New Delhi, as Congress presses its demands over the voter roll revision and the BJP defends the Election Commission against opposition criticism.
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