- INDIA bloc protests at Jantar Mantar, leaders detained.
- Demands CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over electoral rolls.
- CJP announces October 10 youth protest on vote theft.
Jantar Mantar turned into a political battleground on Wednesday as the Opposition's confrontation with the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls spilled onto the streets, with INDIA bloc MPs being stopped by Delhi Police, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra detained and opposition leaders vowing to intensify their campaign for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The standoff, which unfolded amid heavy security near the designated protest site, saw Rahul Gandhi attempt to open a barricaded gate as Opposition MPs sought to proceed towards Jantar Mantar. Police pushed the protesters back, and several leaders were detained.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was later seen lying on the ground and alleged that women police personnel had scratched her and thrown protesters to the ground. Rahul Gandhi, while being detained, was seen waving at the media and showing a victory sign.
As the confrontation at Jantar Mantar deepened, a fresh protest front emerged with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) announcing a youth-led demonstration at the same venue on October 10.
CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said the party had formally intimated Delhi Police about the proposed protest and that young people from across the country would gather to raise concerns over what the party described as "theft of votes", "hijacking of elections" and the alleged exclusion of Gen Z from voter lists.
The latest confrontation came a day after Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other INDIA bloc leaders were detained during their protest against the Election Commission. Delhi Police subsequently registered an FIR in connection with the alleged entry of the Opposition leaders into the Akashvani Bhavan premises without permission.
According to Delhi Police, the INDIA bloc had planned a march from Parliament House towards Nirvachan Sadan, the Election Commission's headquarters, but no official permission had been sought or granted for the proposed march. Police said that after the protesters were stopped near the ECI office, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other leaders entered the Akashvani Bhavan premises and staged a sit-in.
Police said the protesters were asked to vacate the premises but refused, insisting that a delegation of MPs be allowed to meet Election Commission officials. The police later intervened to maintain law and order, detained the protesters and moved them to different locations. Around 260 people, including 10 MPs, were detained during the protest, according to police.
The Opposition, however, has rejected the police action and maintained that it was exercising its democratic right to protest and seek answers from the Election Commission.
Rahul Gandhi said the Congress and INDIA bloc were prepared to repeatedly take to the streets, face arrests and legal cases in what he described as a fight to "save the Constitution and democracy".
"To save the Constitution and democracy, the Congress Party and the opposition are ready to take to the streets as many times as needed, face arrests, or endure legal cases," Gandhi said in a post on X.
He further said the Opposition would not stop its agitation until Gyanesh Kumar resigns.
"We are not going to stop protesting till Gyanesh Kumar resigns. This is a fight to protect the most sacred thing in this country. There is nothing that Narendra Modi and Amit Shah can do that will stop us," Gandhi said.
Later, Gandhi thanked INDIA bloc MPs for standing together during the protest, saying that attempts to stop the march or deny the Opposition a meeting with the Election Commission could not suppress what he called the "will of our people".
"I am thankful to every INDIA alliance MP standing firm in defence of our democracy - in Parliament, outside on the streets, and today near Jantar Mantar. They can stop a march. They can refuse a meeting. But they cannot stop the will of our people," Gandhi said.
He added, "Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Gyanesh Kumar and the entire system will be brought to justice."
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal also signalled that the party would not back down following the registration of FIRs against its leaders.
"Let them register thousands of FIRs... who is bothered about it. We are very much proud that we are fighting for retaining the democracy of this country," Venugopal said.
In another post on X, Venugopal said, "Bring it on, Modi ji. Now this is a do-or-die battle. And we will win, India will win, the Constitution will win."
TMC MP Derek O'Brien stressed the unity of the Opposition following a meeting of INDIA bloc leaders.
"We are all here together, we are all here united, and we are all here without any egos. We will fight these guys till they are out," O'Brien said.
Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda, whose name was also included in the FIR, said the Opposition would not be intimidated by the police action.
"We have come for lunch now, our fight is continuing. We have come to know about the FIR where my name was also included. We will not get intimidated by the FIR, they should have understood it by now," Hooda said.
The Opposition's criticism also came from Keralam Chief Minister VD Satheesan, who said he was stopped by Delhi Police while travelling to Jantar Mantar to join Rahul Gandhi's protest.
"I was on my way to Jantar Mantar to join Shri @RahulGandhi ji, who was leading a peaceful protest. Delhi Police stopped us and I am now at Barakhamba police station. This is an assault on the right of every citizen to assemble and to dissent. An elected Chief Minister cannot be picked up for joining a peaceful protest. It recalls the colonial police state, when the British treated political protest as a crime," Satheesan said in a post on X.
An elected Chief Minister cannot be picked up for joining a peaceful protest, Satheesan said, adding, "Democracy is not a favour granted by the police. We will not be silenced."
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was detained during the protest, also attacked the government, saying the Opposition had been seeking a meeting with the Election Commission to raise allegations of "vote theft" and demand the resignation of the Election Commissioners.
"There is no other way left now except to remove this government. I want to tell every citizen of the country that remove this government. If you do not remove this government, then this country will go into the abyss," she said.
Priyanka Gandhi alleged that more than 300 Opposition MPs had been seeking a meeting with the Election Commissioners and accused the government of attempting to suppress protests.
"Since yesterday, more than 300 MPs have been saying that we want to meet the Election Commissioners. We want to tell them about 'vote theft' and demand their resignation, because we do not trust them," she said.
The Opposition's strategy also moved into organisational mode, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge chairing a meeting of Opposition MPs in Central Delhi to discuss the next course of action and prepare a letter seeking an urgent meeting with the CEC over issues related to SIR.
RJD MP Manoj Jha used a pointed description of the meeting, saying, "There will be a lunch; maybe there will also be a launch."
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said the previous day's detention of Rahul Gandhi had strengthened the Opposition's message, while RJD MP Sudhakar Singh called for direct action and said the CEC's resignation was the "minimum requirement".
Congress MP Jebi Mather said the demand for Gyanesh Kumar's resignation was not restricted to political parties, claiming that sections of civil society and citizens also supported it.
"The demand is a very genuine demand, felt not just by the Congress Party, INDIA Bloc or opposition parties, but even by civil society and citizens. They feel that Gyanesh Kumar must resign," Mather said.
She also criticised the police action against Opposition leaders, saying that force and FIRs would not stop the protest.
"If they think using force can stop us from our demand, they are wrong. If they think one FIR against Rahul Gandhiji and our leaders will stop us, they are mistaken. Even if thousands of FIRs are filed, Rahul Gandhiji will continue with the protest," she said.
Congress MP Ujjwal Raman Singh accused the government of losing faith in democratic institutions, saying that concerns raised by elected representatives should be addressed through dialogue with the Election Commission.
"The government's conduct shows that it has lost faith in democracy. If the people have elected us to the Opposition, it is so that we can raise their voice," he said.
The Opposition also questioned the decision to stop buses carrying MPs as they travelled towards Jantar Mantar. Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said the MPs were travelling in a private bus with the requisite permit and a licensed driver.
"We are travelling in a private bus. The bus has the requisite permit. The driver has a licence. We are passengers in a bus. Don't citizens of this country have the right of free travel?" Chidambaram said.
Congress leader Supriya Shrinate said the Opposition would continue its demonstration at Jantar Mantar until its demands were met.
"When we wanted to meet the Election Commissioner yesterday, he did not meet us. Delhi Police told us that we could not demonstrate here. So, we will head to the Jantar Mantar and demonstrate. That is the designated protest site. We will continue to demonstrate until our demands are met," she said.
Congress MP Pawan Khera also invoked Article 19, saying that the Opposition was exercising its constitutional right to protest.
"It is our democratic right; we are fighting for this right. Article 19 grants us permission to protest in this manner, and Jantar Mantar is a designated spot," Khera said.
RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha went further, saying that the confrontation represented a larger political battle.
"This is a launch. Not just Gyanesh Kumar; this Government is going out now. They are launching a lathi charge on the soul of India, on the democracy of India," Jha said.
Meanwhile, the CJP's announcement of an October 10 protest has widened the scope of the street mobilisation against the Election Commission. CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said the party had submitted a formal letter at Parliament Street Police Station informing the authorities that the CJP and youth from across the country would assemble at Jantar Mantar.
"We have submitted the formal notification and have received the acknowledgement copy from the Delhi Police. Based on our discussions, they also obtained an undertaking from us, and we completed all the required formalities for it. We hope the Delhi Police will cooperate," Das said.
Das said the protest would focus on concerns among young voters over electoral rolls and alleged "vote theft".
"The youth of the country are concerned about a major issue, one that affects their future and their nation regarding the theft of votes, the hijacking of elections, and the fact that the Election Commission of India is failing to even include Gen Z in the voter lists," he said.
Calling the proposed demonstration a youth movement rather than merely a political party programme, Das said, "This isn't just a 'Cockroach Janata Party' movement or protest; this is a Gen Z protest, a protest by the youth."
He urged young people from across the country to gather in the national capital under the slogan "Chalo Delhi".
Das also questioned the need for government "permission" for a protest, saying that the CJP had provided formal intimation to the police and would cooperate with authorities on security, law and order and traffic arrangements.
The CJP spokesperson also made strong allegations against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, including calling him a "traitor" and "anti-national". He further claimed that the Supreme Court had effectively branded Kumar the country's "Liar Number One". These remarks were made by Das in the context of announcing the proposed protest.
The Opposition's street mobilisation is set to continue beyond Wednesday. Congress has announced protests at the state, district and block levels on October 8, describing the day as a "Black Day" for Indian democracy following the police action against Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other INDIA bloc MPs.
In its note, Congress alleged that its leaders and Opposition MPs were subjected to force and lathi-charge during the protest and said it would continue the campaign until Gyanesh Kumar was removed from his post and the "integrity" of the electoral system was restored.
With the Opposition vowing to continue its street agitation, Congress preparing protests across states and the CJP mobilising young people for an October 10 demonstration at Jantar Mantar, the SIR controversy has evolved into a wider political confrontation over electoral rolls, the Election Commission and the leadership of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
(Disclaimer: Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by The Daily Jagran staff and has been published through syndicated feed by ANI.)