Opposition leaders will march to the Supreme Court to submit a memorandum against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The move sharpens a widening confrontation over electoral roll revision after mass detentions in Delhi.
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Newdelhi,Oct 11, 2026 21:23 IST
Opposition parties will march to the Supreme Court on Monday as they step up their agitation against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Leaders of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge have sought time to meet Chief Justice of India Surya Kant between 4 pm and 5 pm to hand over a memorandum on the issue they describe as "vote chori".
Gandhi said opposition parties, civil society groups and young people would march to the Supreme Court to submit the memorandum on behalf of the country, demanding an end to "vote chori", Kumar's resignation, a halt to the Special Intensive Revision and a return to paper ballot. Kharge said he and Gandhi had both written to the CJI and would place the issue before him.
In a post on X, Gandhi said the march would be by Indians "united beyond parties, gender, caste, community and state". Referring to Saturday's protest in Delhi, he said, "Yesterday, the nation's young came out in Delhi to peacefully protest. They came with love in their hearts, not hatred or anger. They were beaten, both by cops and BJP goons. This is not the India we want." He added, "Tomorrow, we will march to the Supreme Court as Indians, united beyond party, gender, caste, community and state. Youth, all opposition parties, civil society groups, all those who believe in democracy and stand by the Constitution of India, will walk with us."
Gandhi also said, "Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Ajit Doval and Mohan Bhagwat cannot silence India's voice. These cowards cannot intimidate us. They will have to step aside. We will march together, with love, brotherhood and patriotism. Daro mat." He alleged that protesters were beaten by the police and "BJP's goons" on Saturday, and said they were protesting as citizens who wanted to protect the Constitution.
Speaking in Bengaluru, Kharge said, "We have sought a time between 4 and 5 pm. We will also apprise him, as we cannot demand. Only with folded hands, we can request him." He added, "With folded hands we will apprise him of the situation. Chaos is being created in the country by the home minister and the prime minister, and everywhere an undeclared emergency is imposed." In another post on X, he said, "I have written a letter, and Shri Rahul Gandhi has also written a letter. We have scheduled a meeting between 4 and 5 PM, during which we will apprise him of the situation."
Kharge said the heavy security deployment and detentions during Saturday's protests showed the government's "fear" of the youth agitation. Referring to restrictions in Delhi, he claimed roads were blocked, communication channels were disrupted, access to the airport was restricted and mobile networks were shut down. "Yesterday, nearly 32,000 police personnel and 7,500 CRPF personnel were deployed. This itself shows how much fear the government has of the youth agitation," he said. He alleged that the government did not want democracy to function peacefully and said, "We will continue our fight to protect democracy and the constitutional rights of the people."
AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said, "Every time one thinks that Amit Shah's Delhi Police couldn't hit new lows, they go lower." He alleged that reporters from agencies, Malayalam journalists, independent bloggers and YouTubers, especially women, were detained and assaulted, and called it "completely unforgivable". He also alleged, "The Delhi Police has turned the entire city into a torture chamber where innocent citizens exercising their fundamental rights are being chased, thrashed and detained," while "vigilante groups aligned with the ruling regime are given a free hand to assault protesters - under full police protection". Venugopal added, "We, the people of India, will succeed. Our satyagraha will win."
AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that the "brutal use of force and tyrannical attempts to suppress the voices of students, youth, and opposition leaders" amounted to an assault on the foundations of democracy. He said, "In the arrogance of power and the obstinacy of clinging to the chair at any cost, the Modi government has committed a grave insult to the Constitution. Weakening the country's reputation and democratic institutions in the madness of power is treason against India."
On Friday, leaders of INDIA bloc parties marched from Parliament to Vijay Chowk and later submitted a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu. The protest on Saturday, called by the CJP to demand Kumar's resignation, saw widespread detentions across Delhi, with more than 7,000 people, including opposition leaders and activists, detained. Restrictions were imposed on Metro and train services, and internet services were suspended in parts of the city to stop protesters from reaching Jantar Mantar.
The opposition has been protesting since Tuesday, demanding the immediate removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and accusing the prime minister and the BJP of "stealing" elections through "vote theft". The INDIA bloc first marched from Parliament to the Election Commission on Tuesday but was stopped on the way, after which Gandhi staged an eight-hour sit-in inside the Akashvani Bhawan complex. Opposition MPs also held marches to Jantar Mantar and Rajghat on the following two days. Their campaign has gathered pace after a report claimed internal differences within the poll body, with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recording objections at least 14 times over the past 10 months, including on the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Last week, the INDIA bloc also finalised a joint action plan on the SIR row, including rallies and "save democracy" marches.
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