Live: Vijay's TVK, Congress, INDIA bloc allies to stage mega protest in Chennai

Anti-ECI Protest Live Updates: Welcome to our live coverage of the escalating standoff between the INDIA bloc, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and the authorities over demands for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. With CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka in judicial custody following their protest at Jantar Mantar, attention now turns to CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and the pressure group’s next moves. In Tamil Nadu, the ruling TVK, Congress and other INDIA bloc constituents are set to hold a joint protest today, adding another front to the mounting campaign. The row is also headed to the Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear pleas linked to the October 10 protests, metro station closures and train disruptions, alongside petitions by Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders challenging alleged irregularities in the electoral rolls’ Special Intensive Revision. The India Today Desk brings you the latest updates, statements and ground reports as the row unfolds.

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Cops detain Indian Youth Congress workers during a protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. (Photo: PTI)

Delhi Police on late Wednesday night registered an FIR against women workers of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) following a reported altercation inside a police detention bus during a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the SIR issue.

The development comes after a video circulated on social media showing a woman police officer pulling a female NSUI activist by her hair before forcing her onto a vehicle carrying detained protesters.

NSUI alleged that its members sustained serious injuries due to police brutality and claimed that no FIR had been registered within 24 hours of the incident.

“Brutality was perpetrated by a female constable of the Delhi Police against NSUI comrades who were protesting at Rajiv Chowk, resulting in serious injuries to our comrades. Even 24 hours after the incident, the Delhi Police had not registered an FIR. Subsequently, NSUI National President Vinod Jakhar ji arrived there and got the FIR registered,” the NSUI said.

The Supreme Court will hear on Thursday a plea filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders challenging alleged large-scale voter deletions and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi will also hear separate petitions linked to the October 10 protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, including pleas over metro station closures and train service disruptions.

Gandhi and the other petitioners have sought an independent audit of voter deletions and modifications under the SIR, led by a retired Supreme Court judge and assisted by technical experts.

They have also urged the court to suspend the ongoing revision, ensure no voter is deleted without notice and an opportunity to be heard, and direct the Election Commission to publish booth-wise deletion data, including reasons and age- and gender-wise breakdowns. Follow live updates of the hearing here

Tamil Nadu’s ruling TVK, Congress and other INDIA bloc constituents will stage a protest in Chennai on Thursday, demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and condemning what they called the “murder of democracy” over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Led by Congress MP B Manickam Tagore, the demonstration will mark TVK’s first participation in the campaign since joining the Opposition bloc on October 3.

Leaders of all seven constituent parties are expected to attend the protest at Ramada Circle in Egmore, including TVK leader A Rajmohan, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan, MDMK general secretary Vaiko and representatives of the Left parties.

The protest comes amid criticism from DMK chief MK Stalin, who had questioned Chief Minister and TVK founder C Joseph Vijay’s silence on the issue and asked whether he feared the BJP.