A massive political face-off unfolded in the national capital as leaders and cadres of the INDIA alliance gathered at the Constitution Club and the residence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge before heading towards Ramlila Maidan. While official permission was granted for a rally between noon and five in the evening at the venue, uncertainty persisted regarding Delhi Police clearance for the planned opposition march originating from Minto Road. Significant cadre mobilization was witnessed from the Congress, Left parties, and the Samajwadi Party, with large contingents arriving from neighboring Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
Concurrently, the Bharatiya Janata Party mounted counter-protests across the country to counter the political optics of the opposition. Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda and other senior leaders criticized the timing of the demonstration during the festive period, while BJP-aligned traders expressed deep concerns over economic losses. The ruling party also held demonstrations in Rohtak and invoked historical issues, including the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, to target the Congress leadership.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had earlier issued a renewed call urging the public and party cadres to gather at Connaught Place and Minto Road for a massive march towards Ramlila Maidan. The protest brought together key leaders, members of parliament, party chiefs, and civil society groups under the banner of the opposition alliance. Participants asserted that the movement unites diverse political parties to safeguard the Constitution, democracy, and voting rights, while sharply criticizing the Election Commission over alleged voter exclusions and demanding a clean election register.
Conversely, the Bharatiya Janata Party labeled the demonstration an anarchy overdrive in the national capital, organizing its own counter-protest and accusing the opposition of trivializing democratic institutions through protests and mock proceedings. Opposition figures maintained that taking the issue to a public forum became essential after opportunities to raise grievances in Parliament, with the President, or before the Supreme Court were obstructed.
Ahead of the parallel marches, tensions escalated in Delhi when Congress workers were seen tearing down Bharatiya Janata Party hoardings depicting 1984 anti-Sikh riot atrocities near Minto Road. In response, the Bharatiya Janata Party organized a counter-march from Hari Nagar to Tilak Nagar to commemorate the victims of that violence. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and other leaders had earlier criticized the opposition for organizing political demonstrations during a period traditionally observed in prayer and community service by the Sikh community.
Local traders also raised serious concerns ahead of the rally, warning of major business losses during the peak festive season. The Chamber of Trade and Industry wrote multiple letters requesting the event be postponed until after Diwali, noting that hundreds of thousands of shops across central and old Delhi markets faced severe disruptions. Although Rahul Gandhi urged protesters to support local shopkeepers by making purchases, trader associations remained unconvinced, citing heavy traffic congestion and barricaded routes that completely halted festive commerce.