Published Oct 12, 2026 | 8:39 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 12, 2026 | 3:43 PM
The Congress’s ‘Chalo Delhi’ march to the Supreme Court. (Videograb)
The INDIA bloc’s ‘Chalo Delhi’ march to the Supreme Court on Monday, 12 October, continues its demand for the sacking of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Other INDIA bloc leaders are also part of the march, the biggest protests Delhi has seen in recent days. Neha Bora of AISA is among the leaders at the march on a day when the government denotified Jantar Mantar as a protest site.
Over 30,000 police and paramilitary personnel were deployed across the capital on a day when the protesters easily outnumbered the men in uniform.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Sunday had declined a request from Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for a meeting on Monday.
Speaking to the media on Monday, Justice Surya Kant said he had responded to Gandhi’s letter on Sunday night, explaining why he would be unable to attend the meeting, but declined to comment on the contents of his reply.
“I received his letter yesterday. I replied to it last night itself. I have given some reasons in it, on the basis of which I have expressed my inability to attend the meeting,” he said.
Live Coverage:
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said the Opposition would continue its agitation demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls until the electoral system was overhauled and accountability fixed.
Read the full article here:
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has urged Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to turn approver and resign, accusing him of committing a crime while claiming he is not the alleged mastermind. Gandhi said Kumar’s resignation would be a service to the nation. His remarks come amid protests and allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav says, "Wherever there is dharna, that is Jantar Mantar", on a day when it was de-notified as a designated protest site.
Three other sites — Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in east Delhi — had been notified in its place.
Delhi is seeing its biggest protests against the Centre and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Monday
The Congress’s ‘Chalo Delhi’ march to the Supreme Court on Monday, 12 October, continues its demand for the sacking of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Other INDIA bloc leaders are also part of the march.
Live:
Rahul Gandhi has urged citizens across political parties to stand up for the Constitution, saying the fight is about India’s future, people’s rights and dignity—not about individual leaders. He called on opposition leaders, youth, journalists and citizens to show solidarity with the movement. Gandhi also urged people who could not join the protest in person to express their support, asserting that every citizen has a role in protecting the Constitution and democracy.
Senior Supreme Court Advocate Prashant Bhushan condemned the denotification of Jantar Mantar as a site earmarked for holding protests, saying the government cannot confine protests to ‘Designated sites.’
"Clear that the govt wants to push protests to the outskirts of Delhi. They won’t even permit Ramlila for large protests. This is malafide & illegal. They cannot designate protest sites. Peaceful assembly & protest is a fundamental right of people. The govt cannot confine to ‘Designated sites’ [Sic]," Bhushan posted on X.
The march is the biggest protest New Delhi is seeing since the agitation against Gyanesh Kumar began. Up to 80,000 people are said to be out on the ground on a day when Congress and the INDIA bloc had called for a mass mobilisation.
As we have reported earlier, student leader Neha Bora of AISA has also joined the protests.
The march comes on a day when Jantar Mantar has been de-notified as a designated protest side, a move the Cockroach Janta Party leaders have condemned.
Congress workers swarm a police van meant to detain protesters. https://t.co/O8tfb5ZLXF
— shoaib daniyal (@ShoaibDaniyal) October 12, 2026
Fiery TMC MP Mahua Moitra told reporters ahead of the march, "We are going to march towards the seat of justice, to get justice for all Indians."
The buses carrying the leaders are now entering Barakhamba Road. Visuals of Neha Bora and Yogendra Yadav who have joined the INDIA bloc protests are playing on screen.
AISA president Neha Bora has joined LoP Rahul Gandhi and other opposition MPs in the protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
The videos of the same have surfaced online.
Neha Bora joins Rahul Gandhi on the bus during the protest. ✊ https://t.co/0T3etLWnCT
— Neha Bora Team (@NehaAisa) October 12, 2026
Ahead of the INDIA bloc march that is now on Ferozeshah Road, Rahul Gandhi shared that "all protests are one movement to defend Constitution; will continue until electoral system is overhauled." Neha Bora of AISA, Yogendra Yadav are among those who have joined the INDIA bloc in Monday's protest.
"People are being stopped from reaching Delhi. Trains and buses are being stopped, and people are being made to get off. Delhi has been turned into a fortress, into a stronghold. There are police everywhere—20,000 to 30,000 police personnel. Now, you might think that this is a very powerful show of force. But our strategy is different. We want 20,000 to 30,000 police personnel standing on the streets. That is exactly what we want," Rahul said.
"And the government is making a huge mistake, because we want to show the country that the Narendra Modi government is protecting Gyanesh Kumar. On the one hand, we are saying that we want his resignation. But actually, we want them to protect him, because the more they protect him, the more it will ultimately lead us to the people who control him," he added.
The news is that Delhi Police might now allow the leaders to head to the Supreme Court and restrict them instead at Mandi House.
⦿ संविधान की रक्षा के लिए
⦿ वोट का अधिकार बचाने के लिएआज पूरा भारत सुप्रीम कोर्ट तक मार्च कर रहा है।
📍 बाराखंबा, दिल्ली https://t.co/svRh7rm0Oj
— Congress (@INCIndia) October 12, 2026
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi told the Prime Minister ahead of INDIA bloc's march to the Supreme Court that "200 officials of your government are in touch with us and informing us, including those in the ED, CBI, Foreign Ministry...", indicating that the Opposition knows what is happening within the government.
His statement comes on a day when Delhi is seeing the biggest mobilisation of Opposition members in the campaign against Gyanesh Kumar, the controversial SIR, and the government.
The protest comes on a day when the government has denotified Jantar Mantar as a protest site, drawing widespread criticism. As we reported earlier in the blog, three other alternate sites have been named.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said the Opposition would continue its agitation until until the electoral system was overhauled and accountability fixed.
Addressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters in Delhi ahead of the party’s ‘Chalo Delhi’ march at Connaught Place, he accused the government of using the police to suppress dissent and protect Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and said the Opposition was fighting the government on multiple fronts and winning.
Gandhi said the Congress’s agitation, protests organised by the Cockroach Janta Party with the support of Left organisations, and other protests across the country were all part of a single movement to defend the Constitution.
“There are no parallel protests. They are all part of the same movement. We do not care who you are or which organisation or group you come from. If you are defending the Constitution, as we are, we stand with you. We will support you, help you, and protect you. And we expect the same from you,” he said.
Gandhi said the movement’s immediate demand was the removal of Kumar, followed by the removal of Modi, Shah and others.
“This is a fight to save the Constitution. This is not about Rahul Gandhi or Narendra Modi. None of us is important here. The importance lies with India, with the Constitution, with the voice of the people of India, and with the future of this country,” he said.
“We have the entire blueprint of Narendra Modi. We have his complete dossier. He knows it, and I know it too.”
Visuals from Connaught Place, Delhi, show heavy police force deployed, as the INDIA bloc is set to start the Chalo Dilli March.
VIDEO | INDIA bloc Chalo Dilli March: Visuals from Connaught Place.
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/d8jp61yd2p) https://t.co/QDLY9csAAX
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 12, 2026
Jantar Mantar has been denotified as a designated protest site, a Delhi Police circular on Monday said.
Delhi Police have named Ramlila Maidan, the Burari Ground and the CBD Ground.
Detailed and revised standard operating procedures (SOPs) for protests at the three designated venues will be shared soon, Cops announced.
Read the full article here:
Delhi Police de-notify Jantar Mantar as designated protest site, replace it with three new sites
"We had written a letter to the Chief Justice of India. He directed us to file a petition. Now, leaders of the INDIA alliance will march to the Supreme Court against 'vote theft' and file the petition. In this fight to protect democracy and the Constitution, fellow citizens, let us march step by step with us. Reach Connaught Place and become part of this march. If you can't come, raise your voice from wherever you are!" Rahul Gandhi posts before the beginning of the march.
As we wait for the INDIA bloc's 'Chalo Delhi' march to begin, let us look at some of the worrisome developments from Sunday:
Rajya Sabha MP and CPI (M) leader John Brittas charged that he had been assaulted and dragged away by the Delhi Police while addressing the media.
"I was speaking to the press…I was dragged to a police van by CRPF men, despite me telling them that I haven’t violated any law and despite the SC verdict that peaceful protest is a fundamental right… I did not even go near the barricade. In the bus, they pinned me down and assaulted me," Brittas said.
This was despite the Supreme Court advising the Centre and Delhi Police not to "use a hammer to kill a fly", and on Sunday, ordering the restoration of metro, train, internet and movement rights in a special bench hearing.
Journalists were arrested on Sunday too.
Then there was the highly disturbing incident where a journalist shared a video of how the Delhi Police let a car go despite a fellow journalist shouting that it was loaded with sticks and weapons. "Instead of checking, the police gave it full cover and let it go," Krishna Kant, the journalist who posted the video, shared.
The Wire editor Siddharth Varadarajan, who was among those who re-shared the video, was scathing in his condemnation. "I do believe we are now at the public-private partnership stage of fascism with lumpens being given free rein to attack those standing up for democracy," he posted.
The Delhi High Court Bar Association has asked its members to wear black ribbons while appearing in court on Monday, in protest against the Delhi Police’s “illegal detention of lawyers and excessive use of force” during the protests on Saturday.
The association urged members to wear black ribbons as a mark of solidarity with those manhandled and detained and to register their opposition to the “excessive and disproportionate use of force by the police against members of the legal fraternity”.
