The INDIA bloc, led by the Congress, will hold its mega rally at Ramlila Maidan against the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the SIR of the electoral rolls. Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has appealed to people, including students and civil society groups, to join the gathering, scheduled from 10 am to 5 pm, describing it as a movement to defend democracy and the Constitution
Sunday's mobilisation follows a symbolic 'public impeachment' of Kumar held by the INDIA bloc at Kharge's residence on Saturday. Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar presided over the proceedings; Kharge moved a resolution listing the Opposition's charges against the CEC, and Rahul Gandhi delivered the concluding remarks before it was adopted.
The INDIA bloc has been holding a series of protests against what it describes as 'vote chori', accusing the Election Commission of facilitating large-scale deletion of voters' names through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Opposition parties have also approached President Droupadi Murmu and the Supreme Court over the issue.
Supporters of various INDIA bloc parties began gathering at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan early Sunday morning, while party workers assembled at different locations across the national capital ahead of the Opposition alliance's 'Chalo Dilli' protest against alleged electoral irregularities and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Samajwadi Party workers gathered outside party chief Akhilesh Yadav's residence, while groups of Congress supporters assembled outside Himachal Bhawan before proceeding towards the rally venue.
Many supporters arrived in Delhi on Sunday morning, while several others had reached the national capital on Saturday or earlier as parties mobilised their cadres from different states for the protest.
DCP Central Rohit Rajbir said the police were coordinating closely with the organisers, who have set up a dedicated control room to monitor the event. Police personnel have been deployed inside designated enclosures and along pathways within the venue. Seva Dal volunteers, Civil Defence Committee members and local residents’ associations are also assisting security personnel with crowd management on roads surrounding the ground.
BJP National President Nitin Nabin is set to lead a ‘Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao’ (Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy) march in Haryana’s Rohtak on Sunday to counter the INDIA bloc’s national campaign.
Simultaneously, former Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will lead a parallel padyatra starting from BK Chowk in NIT Faridabad.
AICC general secretary K C Venugopal on Sunday said the party's protest rally against CEC Gyanesh Kumar to be held during the day at Ramlila grounds in the national capital was a "stern warning" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Venugopal told the media in Delhi that it will be a protest like never before and that it has affected the composure of the PM and Home Minister.
"They have lost their composure seeing the magnitude of the public support for the protest. That is why they are making statements that the protestors are anarchists and the agitation was an insult to the Parliament. The protest is a stern warning to them," the Congress leader said.
"Gyanesh will be removed from his post. Take it from us," he added. Venugopal also said that it would be "good for the police" if they cooperate.
The march, named 'Chalo Dilli', will begin at noon from the Minto Road-Connaught Place junction and culminate at Ramlila Maidan, where the rally is scheduled from 10 am to 5 pm.
Leaders of the INDIA bloc are expected to travel in open buses from Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence to the starting point of the march.
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke met Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee in Delhi on Saturday to thank her for supporting the outfit’s youth-led demonstrations and standing by leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka during their recent arrests.
Dipke extended solidarity to the opposition INDIA bloc’s Sunday rally against alleged electoral roll irregularities, but clarified that the CJP will not join the demonstration.
While the Opposition is staging a ‘Chalo Dilli’ march at Ramlila Maidan, the ruling BJP is mounting a counter-offensive with a march in West Delhi to remember the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, ANI news agency reported.
The BJP had earlier accused the Congress of f holding a political rally on the anniversary of the violence. The BJP march will begin at 11:30 am from Hari Nagar Bus Depot to Tilak Nagar Metro Station in West Delhi, and will be led by Union minister Hardeep Puri and Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, among others.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Sunday urged participants attending the INDIA bloc rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan to support local traders by making festive purchases from small shopkeepers.
In a post on X, extending greetings for Diwali, Chhath and Bhai Dooj, Gandhi urged visitors to shop at the capital’s markets.
Responding to concerns raised by business bodies over possible disruption to festive trade, he accused the BJP of spreading rumours among traders and asserted that the rally would not affect local businesses.
More than 4,000 police personnel, along with Central Armed Police Forces companies, will be deployed for security and crowd management along the march route and at the venue.
Ramlila Maidan has been divided into 14 zones, each supervised by an officer of assistant commissioner rank. More than 200 CCTV cameras, drones and body-worn cameras will be used for surveillance, with a control room set up inside the ground.
Preparations were underway at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on Sunday morning ahead of the INDIA bloc’s scheduled rally.
Visuals captured by PTI at 5 am showed workers putting up posters, banners and cutouts, while extensive stage arrangements and canopy tents were being set up across the venue.
Designated seating enclosures, public address systems and security barricades have been put in place to manage the expected crowds. Thousands of security personnel are set to be deployed, with multi-zone surveillance arrangements in place to monitor the event throughout the day.