India’s opposition India bloc, led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, marched towards the Supreme Court on Monday, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of voter fraud and irregularities in electoral rolls.
The march, scheduled for 4pm local time (10:30am GMT), was organized to submit a memorandum seeking Kumar’s removal and electoral reforms. Gandhi urged people to join what he called a “march for democracy” and a “march for justice” in a post on X.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, along with student leader Neha Bora and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, were among those approaching police barricades near the Supreme Court, according to Al Jazeera. Some protesters reportedly broke through the barricades and moved closer to the court.
The demonstration came after Chief Justice of India Surya Kant declined a request from Congress leaders for a meeting to discuss their allegations of voter theft and demands for electoral reforms.
The chief justice reportedly cited pending cases concerning the revision of electoral rolls, which opposition parties claim resulted in the removal of around 130 million people from voter lists.
The India bloc’s protest follows a series of demonstrations and reported mass detentions of protesters, journalists and lawyers in Delhi in recent days.
The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), which has also been organizing protests against the election chief, expressed support for the opposition’s planned march.
Meanwhile, Jantar Mantar, previously a designated protest site in Delhi, has been denotified as an authorized demonstration venue, while the CJP has issued an ultimatum to Delhi Police over setting a date for its protest.
Dhruv Rathee alleges police prevented him from joining protests
Separately, Indian YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, a prominent critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleged that plainclothes police officers took him from his mother’s home in New Delhi on October 10 as he prepared to join a CJP protest.
Rathee, who lives in Germany with his wife, also said he had intended to participate in the Congress-led demonstration but was unable to leave his home because more than 50 people were outside, according to Al Jazeera.
Rathee has become an influential voice among Indian youth, using his online platform to criticize the Modi government. He was previously supportive of Modi but later became a vocal critic of the prime minister.
The latest demonstrations reflect mounting opposition pressure over electoral processes and the role of the Election Commission, as protesters demand accountability and reforms.