Opposition leaders march to Supreme Court demanding election chief's resignation
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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and supporters filed a petition at the Supreme Court calling for the removal of Election Commission chief Gyanesh Kumar, amid a large police presence in New Delhi.
Rahul Gandhi, leader of the Congress Party, led a convoy of parliamentarians and supporters in a march toward the Supreme Court in New Delhi on Monday, where a petition was submitted demanding the resignation of Election Commission chief Gyanesh Kumar. Police had erected multiple barricades and deployed tens of thousands of officers, preventing the convoy from reaching the court building, but officials said the petition was handed over to the court staff.
Gandhi told reporters that the government had "put the capital city in jail" and called for Kumar to be tried for treason, adding that the protesters came with "love in their hearts, not hatred or anger" and were met with police and BJP supporters' violence. He also posted on X that Prime Minister Narendra Modi could not silence dissent.
Analysts noted that the current protests differ from earlier summer demonstrations, with younger activists adopting flash-mob tactics to evade police. Neha Bora, president of the All India Students’ Association, described arranging protests only minutes before they occur to avoid detention, while other students reported similar “cat-and-mouse” strategies.
Opposition figures and political analysts said the movement reflects growing frustration with what they describe as a compromised Election Commission that has removed over 130 million voter names, allegedly affecting minorities. They warned that the government's heavy security deployment in central Delhi aims to curb disruptions but may intensify anti-government sentiment.