Published Oct 13, 2026 | 5:49 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 13, 2026 | 6:54 PM
Opposition leaders, civil society members and student activists vowed to stay together in the fight for the restoration of democracy.
INDIA bloc leaders on Tuesday, October 13, vowed a united fight against the BJP-led central government and the Election Commission of India (ECI) over alleged electoral irregularities and a crackdown on dissent.
Addressing a joint press conference at the residence of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, the Opposition leaders, civil society members and student activists vowed to stay together in the fight for the restoration of democracy.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said it is the first time in Delhi that young people and citizens have come together in large numbers.
“You have witnessed the tremendous success of the initiatives undertaken by the INDIA alliance over the past four days; Rahul-ji and other leaders addressed the public’s issues with great seriousness and dedication. Rarely have people turned out in such vast numbers,” Kharge said.
LIVE: United Opposition Media Bite | Vote Chori | 5 Sunehri Bagh Road, New Delhi https://t.co/2ymvat4Ucx
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 13, 2026
Rahul Gandhi reiterated his allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, saying the Opposition had united in its fight to restore “genuine” democracy in India.
“We are all standing together. There are no parallel protests. There is one single protest. The mission is to restore democracy in India. Democracy has been destroyed. The elections have been destroyed. We are fighting to restore genuine democratic rule in the country. The government has decided to stop usage of Jantar Mantar. We will fight this. The people who have done this — Mr Modi, Mr Amit Shah, Mr Gyanesh Kumar — they need to understand the net is closing around them. It is not going to be simple to destroy the Constitution and get away,” he said.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav claimed the decision to denotify Jantar Mantar as a protest site reflected the BJP government’s fear amid growing protests. He asserted that the Opposition remains united in the fight to restore democracy.
“We are united in our resolve to save democracy, and we will make whatever sacrifices are necessary to achieve this… The way Gyanesh Gupta has acted like a mere puppet, he will certainly face punishment. These people will not escape; they are fearful, and this fear is evident in how they have shifted the protest venue…,” Tejashwi said.
“We will continue this fight; we will stand united, fight, and emerge victorious. Those who orchestrated this conspiracy—whether it be Modi ji, Gyanesh Gupta, or Amit Shah—who facilitated vote theft and rigged elections, stand exposed before the people of the country,” he said.
Speaking at the presser, AISA national president Neha Bora said the fight was against the BJP.
“There is one enemy and that is the BJP… The BJP has never had a role in making the Constitution… It is wonderful that all Opposition parties are united. Our fight is only against the BJP… The people who have committed treason are the BJP,” she said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut called CEC Gyanesh Kumar a “mafia.”
“Modi and Shah have kept the country under threat for the last 12 years… The movement will continue under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi,” he said.
The press conference followed a tea meeting hosted by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at his residence at 5, Sunehri Bagh Road in New Delhi.
Announcing the tea meet in an X post, Gandhi vowed that the movement “to protect democracy” would continue relentlessly.
“Today I have invited the leaders of the INDIA alliance, opposition MPs, student organisations, and civil society comrades to my home for tea. In this people’s movement to protect democracy, we are all together – and this movement will continue relentlessly,” he said in a post on X.
The Congress leader also announced that Opposition leaders and activists will address the media after the meeting at his residence.
“All protests are one,” Gandhi wrote.
आज मैंने INDIA गठबंधन के नेताओं, विपक्षी सांसदों, छात्र संगठनों और सिविल सोसाइटी के साथियों को अपने घर चाय पर बुलाया है।
लोकतंत्र की रक्षा के इस जनांदोलन में हम सब एक साथ हैं – और ये आंदोलन लगातार जारी रहेगा।
चाय के बाद हम सभी मिलकर मीडिया के सामने अपनी बात रखेंगे।
All protests are one.
#Unity— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 13, 2026
The crucial meeting comes a day after the Opposition’s ‘Chalo Delhi’ march to the Supreme Court, which saw people from across the country gathering in thousands to protest against the alleged electoral irregularities committed by the ECI and the BJP-led central government.
Sending a message of unity across party lines, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi led the march alongside Left student leaders Neha Bora and Aishe Ghosh, as well as activist Yogendra Yadav.
The march culminated with a petition signed by 11 INDIA bloc leaders being submitted before the Supreme Court by the Congress legal team.
The leaders included Mallikarjun Kharge (INC), Rahul Gandhi (INC), Saugata Roy (TMC),, Akhilesh Yadav (SP), Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena – UBT), MA Baby (CPI-M), D Raja (CPI), Mahua Majhi (JMM), Supriya Sule (NCP) and ET Mohammed Basheer (IUML).
The Opposition, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), and other student organisations have been demanding the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and an investigation into the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, which reportedly led to the deletion of over 13 crore voters from the country’s electoral rolls.
(Edited by Fayisa CA)
