HighLights
  1. INDIA bloc marched to Election Commission demanding CEC resignation.
  2. Protest stopped near NITI Aayog; leaders staged a sit-in.
  3. Rahul Gandhi and SP MPs climbed police barricades during protest.

The INDIA bloc march to Nirvachan Sadan, the Election Commission of India headquarters, has started amid high security. Senior leaders of the alliance, including Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Derek O'Brien, Jairam Ramesh, Manoj Jha and others, started the march from Parliament's Makar Dwar at 11 AM.

Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge says, "We are fighting against the injustice... The government is trying to eliminate the adult franchise we got after independence, and the CEC is a puppet of the government. He does what Modi and Shah say... This will bring in dictatorship... We will keep fighting."

The march is being held demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over reports of irregularities in the functioning of the poll body and mass-scale deletions in the electoral roll through special intensive revision. Rahul Gandhi has accused Kumar of doing 'vote chori' at the behest of the BJP and PM Narendra Modi.   

While participating in the march, CPI general secretary D Raja said, "The INDIA bloc has decided to have a joint march to the Election Commission because there is a strong demand that the Chief Election Commissioner should go. He should resign, or he should be removed. Nothing is happening. There is anger across the country. People are agitating."

INDIA Bloc March: Updates

- After being released from brief detainment, Rahul and Priyanka managed to evade security and entered Akashvani Bhawan in an attempt to reach the Nirvachan Sadan.  

- Several of the INDIA bloc MPs, including Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, were detained by Delhi Police after they climbed over the barricading after a brief sit-in. The protest march has been stopped near the NITI Aayog office. They were released after a short time.

ALSO READ: Delhi Police To Act Against 'Fake Journalists' Over Fabricated Assault Allegations Against ACP; CJP Role Probed

- Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, along with Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav and others, climbed atop police barricading after their march was stopped from proceeding further. On top of the barricade, Gandhi was seen waving the National Flag.

- Samajwadi Party MPs, participating in the protest march, climbed atop the Delhi Police barriers near the NITI Aayog office to continue the agitation.  SP MP Akhilesh Yadav said, "Allegations have been levelled against the Election Commission in the past as well; the Election Commission engaged in dishonesty in 2017, 2019, 2022, and 2024, and in Bengal, it played a completely brazen game... Who can forget the Chandigarh manoeuvre?"

- The march was stopped by the security forces near the NITI Aayog building, sparking a sit-in by leaders, including Rahul and Priyanka. Odisha's opposition party, BJD, has also joined the protest march.

ALSO READ: INDIA Bloc March Against EC Today: Heavy Security Deployment, Traffic Curbs In Place On Key Roads; Details

Along with them, several other INDIA bloc MPs also sat on dharna at Parliament Street after their march was prevented from proceeding to EC headquarters.

- The Opposition MPs started their march displaying various cutouts and raising slogans against the BJP government and Gyanesh Kumar. One of the cutouts showed Kumar in an RSS uniform. 


Also In News