New Delhi, November 1: Thousands of opposition supporters gathered at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on Sunday as INDIA bloc leaders led a march, helmed by Rahul Gandhi, against alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The ‘Chalo Dilli’ mobilisation began from the Minto Road-Connaught Place junction, with senior leaders of several opposition parties travelling in an open vehicle before proceeding towards Ramlila Maidan, where a rally was held.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi were joined by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and other INDIA bloc leaders.
The gathering saw supporters carrying placards and raising slogans against the SIR exercise and demanding the removal of Kumar. The Opposition has alleged that the revision process has led to large-scale deletion of genuine voters from electoral rolls, describing it as ‘vote chori’.
Rahul Gandhi warns of action against CEC
Addressing the gathering, Rahul Gandhi accused the Election Commission of undermining the country’s democratic framework and alleged that the revision of electoral rolls was being used to influence the electoral process.
He said the country would seek justice over alleged vote theft and asserted that action would be taken against Kumar and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
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Rahul Gandhi also warned that the Chief Election Commissioner would face legal consequences, saying that Kumar would go to jail. He accused the CEC of attempting to silence the voice of the people.
Rahul Gandhi had earlier appealed to students and young people across political affiliations to participate in the march, describing it as a collective demonstration to protect the Constitution and democratic institutions.
Kharge, Akhilesh and Mamata attack BJP
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah were attempting to manipulate electoral rolls and deprive women, young people and Dalits of their voting rights.
Kharge said the Opposition would continue its agitation until Kumar resigned. He accused the Election Commission of acting in favour of the ruling BJP.
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Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the SIR exercise had affected voters across communities and claimed that even BJP supporters were now concerned about deletions from electoral rolls.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also criticised the exercise, alleging that her state had been affected by the revision process. She called for continued opposition to the BJP and said the fight would be pursued through democratic means.
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and other opposition leaders also addressed the gathering, criticising the BJP and raising concerns over the functioning of democratic institutions.
Crowd mobilisation and security arrangements
The INDIA bloc had projected a turnout of up to 10 lakh people, while Delhi Police had estimated that around 50,000 could attend. The exact number of participants was not officially established.
More than 4,000 police personnel were deployed in and around the venue, which was divided into 14 security zones. More than 200 CCTV cameras, drones and body-worn cameras were used to monitor the gathering and the march route.
The Delhi Police said the rally concluded peacefully, with no major law-and-order incident reported. Traffic personnel were also deployed to manage diversions and ensure access for emergency services.
Background
The protest was organised as part of the INDIA bloc’s campaign against the SIR exercise and its allegations of voter deletions. The Opposition has demanded Kumar’s resignation and questioned the manner in which electoral rolls are being revised.
The Election Commission and the central government have maintained that the exercise is intended to remove duplicate and ineligible entries from electoral rolls. They have rejected the Opposition’s allegations of politically motivated manipulation.
The rally followed a symbolic public impeachment proceeding against Kumar organised by opposition parties on October 31 at Kharge’s residence.
