New Delhi: High drama unfolded in the national capital as opposing political demonstrations prompted heavy security deployments and the imposition of Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. Outside the Constitution Club of India, INDIA bloc leaders and Members of Parliament gathered for their planned march, intending to move towards the Supreme Court of India. Paramilitary forces, including the Central Reserve Police Force, and Delhi Police set up multi-layer barricades to deter the demonstrators. Simultaneously, Bharatiya Janata Party women workers and Members of Parliament staged a protest outside the Congress headquarters at Indira Bhawan on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg, where they burnt effigies of Rahul Gandhi and Lok Sabha MP Bimol Akoijam to demand disciplinary action.
Addressing a press conference amid the heightened tensions, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi questioned the central government over the extensive security measures and barricading across the city, asking why Delhi had essentially been placed under lockdown. Referring to the 'March for Democracy' movement regarding the Election Commission, Gyanesh Kumar, and alleged electoral irregularities, Gandhi stated that public resistance had intensified over recent days. He alleged that authorities were intercepting trains and buses to prevent supporters from reaching Delhi, transforming the city into a heavily guarded fortress with tens of thousands of security personnel deployed on the streets.
Gandhi argued that the massive deployment demonstrated an effort by the administration led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to shield officials. He further asserted that members of the Delhi Police, CRPF, and ITBP were questioning why they were being ordered to block patriotic citizens, claiming that while young citizens faced severe crackdowns, affiliates of the RSS and BJP were permitted to move about freely. He maintained that the opposition, the general public, and the security forces ultimately stood united on one side against a small group of individuals.