Congress leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday made a series of claims targeting the Narendra Modi government and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar at a press conference at the Congress headquarters, Indira Bhawan, in New Delhi.
Addressing the alleged "vote chori" and the Opposition's ongoing agitation, Rahul Gandhi claimed that around 200 government officials, including from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), were in touch with the Opposition. Rahul Gandhi's press conference also hinted at the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led youth protesters as he called "all protests one" and "there are no divisions".
The Congress MP's remarks came ahead of the INDIA bloc's planned march to central Delhi over alleged electoral irregularities and its demand for Gyanesh Kumar's resignation.
1. 'AROUND 200 GOVT OFFICIALS SHARING INFO WITH OPPN'
Rahul Gandhi claimed that around 200 officials working under the PM Modi-led government were in touch with the Opposition and passing on information. He said the officials included people from agencies and departments such as the ED, CBI and MEA.
"Modi Ji, there are 200 officers in your government who are in touch with us. They are passing on information to us," Gandhi said, delivering a message to the prime minister directly.
The Congress leader did not publicly disclose the identities of the officials or provide details of the information he claimed they were sharing. The allegation, however, was among the most striking claims at the press conference, as the Opposition intensifies its campaign against the government and the Election Commission.
200 ED, CBI, ... : @RahulGandhi https://t.co/wMPPuoiodO— Congress (@INCIndia) October 12, 2026
2. RAHUL GANDHI'S UNIFIED PROTEST MESSAGE: A SIGNAL TO CJP?
Rahul Gandhi sought to project the ongoing agitation against CEC Gyanesh Kumar as a unified movement, insisting that there were no parallel protests.
Although he did not directly name the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at his October 12 press conference at Indira Bhawan, his remarks appeared to signal that the youth-led protests and the INDIA bloc's agitation over alleged "vote chori" were part of the same larger campaign.
"There are no parallel protests. There is one protest, to remove Gyanesh Kumar, and then the Prime Minister, Amit Shah, we are not going to stop," he said, highlighting the Opposition's determination to continue its agitation.
Rahul Gandhi also delivered a message of solidarity to the young protesters, saying the movement would continue until their demands were addressed. "Youth of the country will not stop till Constitution is upheld, CEC goes, election system revamped, we get justice," he said.
Framing the agitation as a fight to uphold the Constitution and reform the electoral system, the Congress leader asserted that neither the Opposition nor the youth would back down until they secured justice.
3. CEC GYANESH KUMAR SENDING MESSAGES, SAYS RAHUL GANDHI
Rahul Gandhi claimed that he was receiving messages from CEC Gyanesh Kumar and alleged that the poll chief was under pressure amid the controversy surrounding the revision of electoral rolls and accusations of "vote chori".
The Congress MP from Amethi urged Gyanesh Kumar to resign and turn approver, suggesting that he should disclose what he knows about the alleged irregularities. He also claimed that the CEC was "unable to sleep amid the mounting pressure" and warned that the Opposition would continue its campaign against him.
"Messages come. Messages come, and he [Gyanesh Kumar] is watching this press conference," Rahul said, adding, "Gyanesh Kumar must turn approver. You have done a crime and, frankly, you are not the main, main criminal. You made a mistake. You have made a mistake. You are not the mind behind the mistake."
The remarks came as the INDIA bloc stepped up its demand for Gyanesh Kumar's resignation, accusing the Election Commission of failing to address concerns over the electoral process. Rahul Gandhi's claims about messages from the CEC were not accompanied by publicly disclosed details of those communications at the press conference held in New Delhi on Monday.
My message to Gyanesh Kumar: Turn approver. You have committed a crime. Frankly, you are not the main criminal. You have made a mistake, but you are not the mastermind behind it. It is easy for you to resign, and doing so would be a service to the nation. : LoP Shri @RahulGandhi New Delhi— Congress (@INCIndia) October 12, 2026
4. DELHI TURNED INTO FORTRESS TO PROTECT CEC GYANESH KUMAR
Rahul Gandhi accused the Centre of restricting the movement of people seeking to join the protests in the national capital. He alleged that commuters were being stopped from reaching Delhi and referred to news reports of disruption affecting train and bus passengers.
Questioning the scale of the security arrangements made in the national capital from October 10, the Congress leader said the government was deploying between 20,000 and 30,000 personnel to manage the protests. He argued that the visible police presence was helping the Opposition make its point that the government was protecting the CEC.
"Our strategy is different. We want there to be a police cordon. We want the country to know that PM Modi is protecting Gyanesh Kumar," Rahul Gandhi said.
The Opposition's agitation and the Cockorach Janta Party's plan had led to heightened security and restrictions in parts of central Delhi. Rahul Gandhi maintained that the measures would not deter the protesters from pursuing their demands.
The barricading of Delhi is an illusion because the minds of its people cannot be barricaded or contained. Their minds are clear, and their voices cannot be silenced. People can see that Narendra Modi is bringing the entire city to a standstill simply because the Opposition is asking one question: Show us proof that you have not cheated in the elections. We went to the President of India, and she asked us to provide proof. We are going to take that proof to her. I hope you have noticed that there was no denial from the President's Office. The denial came quietly from the PMO. We are fighting not for the streets, but for the hearts and minds of the people. We are telling them that this kind of India is dangerous. It suits Ambani, Adani, Modi, Shah and Doval, but it is dangerous for you and your children. Do not allow this to happen. The more they barricade and block, the more they play into our hands. : LoP Shri @RahulGandhi New Delhi— Congress (@INCIndia) October 12, 2026
5. YOUTH PROTESTERS QUESTIONED, BJP AND RSS WORKERS SPARED BY POLICE
The LoP also alleged that the Delhi Police force were uncomfortable with the orders they were being given to control protesters, particularly young people participating in the agitation. He contrasted the police response to opposition demonstrators with what he called greater freedom for workers associated with the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
There are multiple battles taking place, including a battle of perception that involves frightening young children and attacking women. They (BJP-RSS) want people to believe that the country is scared of Modi and Shah. We want India to believe that India is not scared of anything or anyone. This battle is being fought on multiple fronts: perception, psychological, legal and political. We are fighting on all fronts, and I can happily tell you that we are winning on all fronts. : LoP Shri @RahulGandhi New Delhi— Congress (@INCIndia) October 12, 2026
The Congress leader also accused the BJP-led Centre of using force and intimidation to contain the protests. He said the Opposition would continue to challenge the CEC and the government despite the deployment of security personnel and the detention of protesters.
These allegations form part of the Opposition's broader criticism of the handling of the anti-CEC demonstrations. Rahul Gandhi claimed that the workers of the RSS and the BJP received different treatment from the security personnel, while the protesting youths were getting detained.
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