Rahul Gandhi Announces Supreme Court March to Demand Chief Election Commissioner Resignation Amid Protests

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has announced a march to the Supreme Court, urging opposition parties, civil society groups and citizens to join a protest against alleged electoral irregularities and demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

In a statement shared on social media, Gandhi said participants would submit a memorandum to the Chief Justice of India, calling for an end to what he termed “vote chori”, a halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and the removal of Kumar. He stated that the march would unite people across political parties, genders, castes, communities and states.

The announcement follows two days of protests called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in the national capital against the Election Commission. Demonstrations continued on Sunday, with Delhi Police detaining protesters at various locations, including Connaught Place. Among those detained on Sunday were CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas and All India Students’ Association president Neha Bora.

These actions follow large-scale detentions on Saturday, when thousands of demonstrators, opposition leaders and activists attempted to reach Jantar Mantar. AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, student leader Neha Bora, Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan were among those detained as police deployed heavy barricades and restrictions across central Delhi.

Gandhi accused police personnel and BJP workers of beating peaceful demonstrators during Saturday’s protests. Directing his remarks at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Gandhi asserted that authorities could not silence the public or intimidate protesters. He urged citizens not to fear, stating that the march would proceed with love, brotherhood and patriotism.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court directed the Centre on Sunday to ensure that restrictions on public assembly and movement comply with Article 19(2) of the Constitution. The apex court also instructed the government to maintain normal operations for Delhi Metro and rail services, and to keep internet services uninterrupted during the ongoing demonstrations.