INDIA Bloc Protest: Following two days of intense protests in the national capital, top INDIA bloc leaders held a peaceful sit-in protest after paying tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra gathered at the memorial after a lunch meeting at Moets restaurant in Outer Circle, Connaught Place. The opposition leaders reiterated their demand for Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The opposition agitation is set to expand further, with the INDIA bloc planning a march to Rashtrapati Bhavan tomorrow to press their demands. However, opposition leaders are yet to get an appointment with President Droupadi Murmu.

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Tuesday March To Nirvachan Sadan And Eight-Hour Sit-In

On Tuesday, nearly 300 opposition MPs marched from Parliament toward the Election Commission headquarters at Nirvachan Sadan. Most MPs and party supporters were detained and taken away. However, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal managed to enter the Akashvani Bhavan campus, where they staged an eight-hour sit-in before police intervened.

Wednesday Protest At Jantar Mantar And Mass Detentions

On Wednesday, opposition leaders protested near Jantar Mantar. During the protest, Delhi Police again intervened to stop the assembly, detaining senior Congress figures including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav.

Security Beefed Up In Central Delhi

In response to the ongoing protests, security measures have been stepped up around Sansad Marg, Ashoka Road, and Janpath Road. Around 5,000 Delhi Police personnel have been deployed, and several roads have been barricaded

Government Upgrades CEC Gyanesh Kumar Security Cover

The Union government on Thursday strengthened Kumar's existing Z+ security cover. Additional security forces have been deployed outside his residence and at the Election Commission office, after protesters located his Delhi residence and held a separate demonstration outside his family's home in Agra.

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"The protesters managed to trace his house. There was another protest outside his family’s house in Agra. We had to assess all the threats and increase the security cover. We had also placed a few pickets near his house," a senior police officer told Hindustan Times.

Why Is Opposition Protesting?

The nationwide protests over the CEC's resignation stem from alleged irregularities during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process of electoral rolls. The controversy intensified after The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had placed objections on record 14 times over 10 months regarding decisions, noting that several orders were issued without their knowledge.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has refuted claims of an internal rift, asserting that all decisions concerning the SIR process were taken unanimously by the three-member panel.

(With Inputs From ANI And PTI)