INDIA bloc march fills central Delhi streets
Thousands of INDIA bloc supporters marched through central Delhi on Monday, joining students, lawyers and unaffiliated citizens in a demonstration demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and changes to the electoral roll revision process.
Crowds converged around Barakhamba Road and Connaught Place before advancing towards Bhagwan Das Road, where security barricades prevented the main procession from reaching the Supreme Court. Protesters waved party flags, climbed onto buses and chanted slogans as police and paramilitary personnel guarded approaches to the court.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, joined leaders from allied parties in the mobilisation. Supporters of the Samajwadi Party, Left organisations, the All India Students' Association and the National Students' Union of India were among those participating.
The demonstration, billed by organisers as a march for democracy, centred on demands to suspend the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and scrutinise deletions from voter lists. Opposition leaders allege that the exercise risks disenfranchising eligible voters and that the Election Commission has failed to address concerns about transparency.
The Election Commission rejects allegations of political favouritism, maintaining that the revision is intended to improve the accuracy of voter registers. It says people whose names were wrongly removed can apply for re-enrolment. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has accused Congress and its allies of seeking political advantage by undermining public confidence in constitutional institutions.
Opposition representatives filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking an audit of deletions and safeguards against removing voters without adequate notice or an opportunity to challenge decisions. They also sought interim suspension of the exercise. The filing shifted part of the confrontation from the streets to the courts, although the judicial challenge remained unresolved.
The march drew party delegations from several states, alongside youth wings and student organisations. Some senior opposition figures travelled on a bus while supporters walked beside them. At points, demonstrators perched on stationary vehicles to observe the procession and wave flags above the crowd.
The participation extended beyond party workers. Lawyers and other citizens gathered near the junction, with some saying that the treatment of students and protesters over the preceding weekend had prompted them to attend. One woman described herself as the mother of young people belonging to Generation Z and said she had no political affiliation. She said a relative had earlier been detained and that she had come to express solidarity with the country's youth.
Police maintained a substantial presence at road intersections and around government offices. Barricades restricted movement on the route towards the Supreme Court, and officers were deployed alongside personnel from central security forces. Some protesters pushed past barriers, but accounts of the principal march also described largely peaceful crowds.
Public transport was disrupted as authorities restricted access to six Delhi Metro stations, including Rajiv Chowk, Barakhamba Road, Janpath, Patel Chowk, Mandi House and Central Secretariat. Entry and exit facilities were temporarily closed, although interchange services remained available. Road restrictions also affected commuters travelling through the central business district.
The demonstration followed police detentions during protests over the weekend, when students and supporters of the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party attempted to gather at several central Delhi locations. Those episodes intensified arguments over protest permissions, police conduct and the right to assemble peacefully.
Delhi Police subsequently said Jantar Mantar would no longer function as the designated demonstration site and identified three alternative locations. The decision prompted objections from protest organisers, who argued that access to a visible central venue was important for public demonstrations. Separate legal challenges concerning assembly restrictions and allegations of assaults on protesters were also brought before the Delhi High Court.
The electoral roll dispute concerns large-scale removals recorded during the revision exercise, including entries classified as belonging to deceased people, those who had moved and people who could not be traced. Opposition parties dispute whether the process provides sufficient protection against wrongful exclusion; the Election Commission maintains that corrective procedures are available.
As the march moved along Bhagwan Das Road, police secured barricades near the route towards Tilak Lane. Groups of supporters stood beside buses and along the pavement, while others continued arriving from the Mandi House direction carrying flags and placards. Police and paramilitary units remained stationed at nearby crossings as the late afternoon gathering continued under restrictions on public access.
Crowds converged around Barakhamba Road and Connaught Place before advancing towards Bhagwan Das Road, where security barricades prevented the main procession from reaching the Supreme Court. Protesters waved party flags, climbed onto buses and chanted slogans as police and paramilitary personnel guarded approaches to the court.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, joined leaders from allied parties in the mobilisation. Supporters of the Samajwadi Party, Left organisations, the All India Students' Association and the National Students' Union of India were among those participating.
The demonstration, billed by organisers as a march for democracy, centred on demands to suspend the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and scrutinise deletions from voter lists. Opposition leaders allege that the exercise risks disenfranchising eligible voters and that the Election Commission has failed to address concerns about transparency.
The Election Commission rejects allegations of political favouritism, maintaining that the revision is intended to improve the accuracy of voter registers. It says people whose names were wrongly removed can apply for re-enrolment. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has accused Congress and its allies of seeking political advantage by undermining public confidence in constitutional institutions.
Opposition representatives filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking an audit of deletions and safeguards against removing voters without adequate notice or an opportunity to challenge decisions. They also sought interim suspension of the exercise. The filing shifted part of the confrontation from the streets to the courts, although the judicial challenge remained unresolved.
The march drew party delegations from several states, alongside youth wings and student organisations. Some senior opposition figures travelled on a bus while supporters walked beside them. At points, demonstrators perched on stationary vehicles to observe the procession and wave flags above the crowd.
The participation extended beyond party workers. Lawyers and other citizens gathered near the junction, with some saying that the treatment of students and protesters over the preceding weekend had prompted them to attend. One woman described herself as the mother of young people belonging to Generation Z and said she had no political affiliation. She said a relative had earlier been detained and that she had come to express solidarity with the country's youth.
Police maintained a substantial presence at road intersections and around government offices. Barricades restricted movement on the route towards the Supreme Court, and officers were deployed alongside personnel from central security forces. Some protesters pushed past barriers, but accounts of the principal march also described largely peaceful crowds.
Public transport was disrupted as authorities restricted access to six Delhi Metro stations, including Rajiv Chowk, Barakhamba Road, Janpath, Patel Chowk, Mandi House and Central Secretariat. Entry and exit facilities were temporarily closed, although interchange services remained available. Road restrictions also affected commuters travelling through the central business district.
The demonstration followed police detentions during protests over the weekend, when students and supporters of the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party attempted to gather at several central Delhi locations. Those episodes intensified arguments over protest permissions, police conduct and the right to assemble peacefully.
Delhi Police subsequently said Jantar Mantar would no longer function as the designated demonstration site and identified three alternative locations. The decision prompted objections from protest organisers, who argued that access to a visible central venue was important for public demonstrations. Separate legal challenges concerning assembly restrictions and allegations of assaults on protesters were also brought before the Delhi High Court.
The electoral roll dispute concerns large-scale removals recorded during the revision exercise, including entries classified as belonging to deceased people, those who had moved and people who could not be traced. Opposition parties dispute whether the process provides sufficient protection against wrongful exclusion; the Election Commission maintains that corrective procedures are available.
As the march moved along Bhagwan Das Road, police secured barricades near the route towards Tilak Lane. Groups of supporters stood beside buses and along the pavement, while others continued arriving from the Mandi House direction carrying flags and placards. Police and paramilitary units remained stationed at nearby crossings as the late afternoon gathering continued under restrictions on public access.