High drama unfolded in Delhi as leaders and cadres of the INDIA opposition bloc, along with left-wing student groups and affiliated wings, staged a massive protest march towards the Supreme Court. The procession, starting from Barakhamba Road and moving through Connaught Place, witnessed protesters breaching barricades amid heavy security deployment across the national capital. The Chief Justice of India declined to meddle in affairs related to government functioning, prompting opposition leaders to decide on filing a formal plea in the apex court instead.
Protesters carried banners targeting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Demonstrators included members from the Congress, Samajwadi Party, NSUI, and Congress-ruled states, alongside unaffiliated citizens. Congress leader Deepender Hooda was also seen joining the demonstration as opposition buses navigated through Connaught Place amid tight police arrangements.
A massive protest march by INDIA Alliance cadre workers, including Congress, Samajwadi Party, Left, AISA, and NSUI members, snaked through Barakhamba Road towards Connaught Place in Delhi. Protesters were seen sitting atop buses as crowds converged at the intersection. Members of the legal fraternity and citizens from various walks of life also joined the demonstration. One participant, identifying herself as a mother of Gen Zs with no political affiliation, stated she arrived in solidarity with the country's youth after her relative was previously detained.
A massive deployment of Delhi Police and paramilitary forces was positioned along Bhagwan Das Road as buses carrying INDIA bloc leaders moved through multiple barricades. Cadres, civil society members, and activists joined the march, raising demands regarding the accountability of the Election Commission. The Bharatiya Janata Party countered by stating that the opposition only questions election processes when the BJP wins, rather than when the opposition secures victories in states like Kerala. CPI leader D Raja, one of the signatories, is set to submit a petition to the Supreme Court of India after the Chief Justice of India communicated that while he could not meet them personally, any petition filed in court is welcome.
Leaders and supporters of the INDIA bloc staged a large protest march in central Delhi, moving along Barakhamba Road towards Bhagwan Das Road. Key political figures, including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Tejashwi Yadav, Sanjay Raut, Supriya Sule, and Dharmendra Yadav, travelled in a bus accompanied by cadres from the Congress party, Indian Youth Congress, National Students' Union of India, and Left youth outfits. While the Aam Aadmi Party and DMK were absent, a delegation of ten leaders planned to petition the Supreme Court.
The Delhi Police installed three layers of barricading from Bhagwan Das Road leading up to the Supreme Court to halt the procession. According to police communication, only an eight-member delegation accompanying Rahul Gandhi will be permitted to proceed to the Supreme Court's Registrar General's office to file a petition, while the remaining protesters will be restrained at the barricades. The demonstration raised questions regarding the functioning and accountability of the Election Commission, alleging that voters were excluded during the special intensive revision exercise.