New Delhi: High drama unfolded across the national capital as leaders, cadres, and allied student wings of the opposition INDIA bloc staged a massive protest march toward the Supreme Court. The demonstration began along Barakhamba Road and moved through Connaught Place, with participants eventually breaching security barricades amid a heavy deployment of Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel.
Key political figures, including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Tejashwi Yadav, Sanjay Raut, Supriya Sule, and Dharmendra Yadav, traveled in a bus accompanied by members from the Congress party, Samajwadi Party, Left organizations, the National Students' Union of India, and various youth outfits. Civil society members, university students, and citizens also joined the procession to voice demands concerning institutional accountability and voting rights.
Demonstrators carried banners criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The crowds raised questions regarding the functioning and oversight of the Election Commission, alleging that voters had been excluded during a special intensive revision exercise.
In response to the mobilization, the Delhi Police established multiple layers of heavy barricading along Bhagwan Das Road leading up to the apex court. Despite the tight security measures, some protesters managed to breach the barriers as the convoy advanced.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party criticized the demonstrations, stating that opposition parties only question election processes when the BJP wins, rather than when the opposition secures state victories such as in Kerala. Meanwhile, after the Chief Justice of India indicated that he could not meet the leaders personally but noted that any formal petition filed in court would be welcome, a delegation of ten opposition figures proceeded to submit their petition to the Supreme Court.