Thousands of people poured onto central Delhi’s streets on Monday (October 12, 2026), marching alongside buses carrying leaders of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) and chanting slogans against the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Election Commission of India (ECI). Personnel of the Delhi Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) facilitated the procession towards the Supreme Court as protesters waved placards and jostled for a glimpse of the leaders.
The scene was a stark departure from the preceding two days, when student protesters attempting to mobilise in the same parts of the Capital were rounded up, bundled into police buses and taken away. Several alleged that they had been assaulted during detention, while journalists covering the protests also reported being detained.
The demands remained the same: rollback of the special intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. But Monday’s (October 12, 2026) mass rally, led by senior Opposition leaders and joined by student organisations including the All India Students’ Association (AISA), the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS), presented a striking contrast to the police action against students and activists who had tried to demonstrate over the weekend.
The INDIA bloc rally began at the Constitution Club of India on Rafi Marg, with Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, and other Opposition leaders joining the mobilisation. The leaders boarded buses and proceeded towards Connaught Place before the procession reached the Barakhamba Road junction near Statesman House and continued towards the Supreme Court, covering approximately 4 kilometres.
Left Party Workers during the INDIA bloc march to Supreme Court in New Delhi on October 12, 2026. | Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma
Groups of protesters walked ahead of the buses, turning the roads into a sea of people. Placards and banners reading ‘Gaynesh Go Back’ rose above the crowd as demonstrators chanted, “Vote chor kahan milenge, BJP ke daftar mein” and “Modi-Shah haye haye”. Others hailed Mr. Gandhi and student leader Neha Bora.
As the buses moved through the crowd, protesters pushed their way forward to catch a glimpse of the leaders, waving their hands and holding up placards. The rally moved amid announcements about the prohibitory restrictions imposed under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in New Delhi and heavy security deployment.
The symbolism was hard to miss. As the march moved from Raisina Road, police personnel opened the barricades at the Shangri-La roundabout to let the procession pass. Over the weekend, Connaught Place had been shut down, Metro services disrupted, and roads leading to Jantar Mantar sealed off with multiple layers of barricades, leaving stretches of central Delhi deserted. AISA president Neha Bora, who was on a bus with Opposition leaders on Monday, had been detained on both preceding days while attempting to protest.
On Sunday (October 11, 2026), hours before Monday’s march, the Supreme Court convened what it called an “extraordinary, exceptional” hearing to direct the Union government and the Delhi Police to stop illegal detentions and allow free and smooth movement of people and traffic, as well as the operations of Metro and rail services, but “subject to law and public order”.
For Aditi, a student who had joined the protests at Jantar Mantar on both days, the contrast between Monday (October 12, 2026) and the two preceding days raised a larger question: why did people need political leaders alongside them to make their voices heard?
“A lot of what happened on October 10 has come out on the internet. Girls were beaten up and journalists were detained while on duty. The world is now asking questions about what is happening in India. So, in an attempt to save their reputation, the government is doing damage control. They are taking baby steps now — de-notifying Jantar Mantar and allowing this protest to happen,” she said.
Heavy security arrangement during the INDIA bloc march to Supreme Court in New Delhi on October 12, 2026. | Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma
Amel Rahman, who travelled from Bengaluru to Delhi to join the planned October 10 protest, said she was relieved to finally participate in a march after two days of frustration. However, seeing police and CRPF personnel facilitate Monday’s rally was also a reminder of the treatment protesters had alleged during the preceding demonstrations.
“In one sense, I was very happy that we were finally able to participate in a protest after being denied the opportunity for the last two days. We were very frustrated by that. But it was also sad to see how the same police and CRPF personnel who were detaining and beating people were facilitating the protesters today and providing protection to the leaders,” she said.
“For the last two days, I was there, ready with a placard, and all set to protest. But the fear was that I would be detained in the first minute. That was the trade-off we had to make, and it is sad,” she said.