Addressing a press conference, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to turn approver, claiming he had committed a crime while noting he was not the primary culprit. Responding to queries regarding alleged reach-outs from Kumar, Gandhi advised him to step down, stating that the opposition recognized the pressure he faced and remained committed to defending the Constitution. Addressing the heavy security deployment and extensive barricading across Delhi, Gandhi questioned why the national capital had been placed under lockdown, asking why Delhi was essentially jailed.
Referring to the March for Democracy movement centered around the Election Commission, Gyanesh Kumar, and alleged vote theft, Gandhi asserted that public resistance had intensified over recent days. He alleged that authorities were halting trains and buses to prevent citizens from traveling to Delhi, turning the city into a fortress supported by tens of thousands of police personnel on the streets. Gandhi claimed this high level of security deployment demonstrated that the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was shielding Gyanesh Kumar.
Furthermore, Gandhi stated that personnel within the Delhi Police, Central Reserve Police Force, and Indo-Tibetan Border Police were questioning why they were being ordered to intercept patriotic Indian youths. He alleged that while young citizens faced harsh crackdowns, affiliates of the RSS and BJP moved about freely. Gandhi maintained that the opposition, the general public, and the security forces stood united on one side against a small group of individuals, emphasizing that the multifaceted battle was being fought on perception, psychological, legal, and political fronts while citizens remained unfearful of the government.