New Delhi: The national capital witnessed a large opposition mobilisation on Sunday as senior INDIA bloc figures, among them Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav and Mamata Banerjee, travelled in an open bus from Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence to Ramlila Maidan.
The procession was part of the alliance’s “Chalo Dilli” demonstration, organised to press for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over claims of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
With banners announcing the Opposition’s “Chalo Dilli” march displayed near Ramlila Maidan, security personnel were positioned across the venue ahead of the INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally. The SFI too drew attention to the mobilisation through a social-media post, as reported by The Hindu.
The march began around noon from the Minto Road–Connaught Place junction, moved through central Delhi and ended at Ramlila Maidan, where the rally was scheduled from 10 am to 5 pm. Rahul Gandhi had earlier invited supporters online, writing, “See you tomorrow, let’s walk together.”
Allegations against Kumar
The demonstration followed a symbolic “public impeachment” held on Saturday at Kharge’s Rajaji Marg residence, chaired by former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar. The gathering adopted a resolution by show of hands seeking Kumar’s removal, though the exercise carried no constitutional force.
Kharge framed the dispute as a threat to democratic participation, saying, “The right to vote, granted to our citizens through universal adult franchise under Article 326 of the Constitution of India, is today in grave danger.”
The bloc advanced six allegations. These are: Kumar conspired to manipulate elections; removed 13.3 crore voters through the SIR; revised Form 6 without parliamentary scrutiny; centralised electoral rolls through ECINET; sidelined the two other Election Commissioners; and acted under the influence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. These are opposition allegations, not judicial findings.
Demands And Security
Beyond Kumar’s removal, the alliance called for the SIR exercise to be halted and for changes to the 2023 law governing appointments to the Election Commission.
Delhi Police deployed roughly 10,000 personnel, traffic diversions, CCTV surveillance and facial-recognition systems around the venue. The BJP simultaneously organised a counter-march, turning the capital into the stage for competing political demonstrations.