Security upgraded for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar amid protests by opposition lawmakers

Security has been tightened across New Delhi as the INDIA bloc prepares for a third consecutive day of protests led by Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The ongoing demonstrations follow a confrontation on Wednesday, when Delhi Police intercepted three buses carrying opposition lawmakers near Janpath as they attempted to march toward Jantar Mantar. The police action brought traffic and activity across parts of New Delhi to a standstill. Nearly 300 opposition MPs had earlier marched from Parliament toward Akashvani Bhavan to demand Kumar’s resignation.

While most protesters were detained, Rahul Gandhi, Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, and other party leaders managed to enter the Akashvani Bhavan campus to continue their demonstration. The Samajwadi Party, which has 37 MPs in the Lok Sabha, is expected to join the protests, having previously skipped a lunch hosted by Congress chief and Rajya Sabha LoP Mallikarjun Kharge due to communication gaps.

Simultaneously, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is scheduled to stage a protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru. Actor Prakash Raj announced the demonstration, stating that CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee will participate alongside citizens affected by the electoral roll revision.

The protests are centered on criticism of the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Controversy grew following reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on 14 occasions over 10 months regarding decisions issued without their knowledge. In response, the Election Commission maintained that all panel decisions, including the SIR, were taken unanimously.

Amid the mounting protests and demonstrations outside his family’s residence in Agra, the Union government has upgraded CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s Z+ security cover. Additional personnel have been deployed at his residence, the Election Commission office, and as part of his personal detail. A senior police officer stated that security was reinforced following threat assessments after protesters traced his residence.