Opposition parties in India are organizing a protest march to the Supreme Court to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The march is scheduled for today at 4 p.m. local time (10:30 UTC). Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is leading the INDIA bloc, called for public participation in what he termed a "march for democracy" and "march for justice" on the social media platform X. This protest follows reports of mass detentions of protesters, journalists, and lawyers in Delhi over the weekend.
The Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, declined a meeting with the Congress Party, which had sought to discuss allegations of vote theft, citing that the matter is sub judice. The protests are fueled by claims that Gyanesh Kumar made unilateral decisions leading to significant voter deletions, allegedly in violation of legal protocols.
In response to the planned march, the Delhi Police has increased security measures across the city, deploying over 30,000 personnel and suspending internet access within a 4-kilometer radius of the protest site. The police have also blocked access to Jantar Mantar, previously designated as a protest site, citing a ban on unauthorized public gatherings under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). Reports indicate that protesters have faced forceful detentions, with police using buses to transport them away from the protest areas.