INDIA bloc MPs to stage bigger protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar today

The Cockroach Janta Party will hold a 'Chappal protest' in Bengaluru today over alleged voter deletions during SIR, ahead of its October 10 'Delhi Chalo' protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar

Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc MPs will stage a bigger protest in Delhi on Thursday against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, a day after Opposition leaders were stopped from reaching Jantar Mantar during a coordinated mobilisation involving leaders of Opposition parties.

 

The decision to hold another demonstration was taken during discussions among Opposition parties on Wednesday, with leaders indicating that more MPs would participate in Thursday’s protest.

 

Security tightened as MPs prepare for bigger protest

 

Security was tightened around the Sansad Marg roundabout in central Delhi on Thursday morning as INDIA bloc MPs prepared to hold a bigger protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

 

 

The Congress party has also declared October 8 as a "Black Day for Indian Democracy" across the country in response to ongoing standoffs and police action against Opposition leaders. AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal has directed all Pradesh Congress Committees (PCCs), District Congress Committees (DCCs) and Block Congress Committees (BCCs) to organise widespread protests today at the state, district and block levels.

 

Meanwhile, around 11,000 additional personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) are being deployed in the national capital for the next few days ahead of a massive protest call by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on October 10. The CJP, following Friday’s protest in Mumbai, has called for a “Delhi Chalo” protest, reported Hindustan Times. With the additional deployment, the total number of central force personnel in Delhi will rise to around 26,000, among the highest such deployments in the city since the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.

 

According to Hindustan Times, the Union Home Ministry on Wednesday approved the deployment of 110 CAPF companies in Delhi from October 8 to 12. Each CAPF company has a sanctioned strength of 120-130 personnel, of whom around 75-80 are generally deployed. The additional forces will be alongside the 15,000 CAPF personnel already in the Capital in 111 companies.

 

Delhi Police has also stepped up preventive measures. Station house officers (SHOs) have been directed to monitor people with criminal antecedents, track buses headed towards the New Delhi district, and engage educational institutions and paying guest (PG) accommodation owners to discourage students from joining the demonstration. 

 

What happened on Wednesday?

 

A luncheon meeting was hosted by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to discuss the plans related to the protest. During the meeting, INDIA bloc parties also discussed their efforts to seek a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu. A meeting with a delegation of 15 leaders was sought, while 10 members have been permitted to meet the President, according to PTI. Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee is expected to be part of the delegation.

 

After the meeting, the Opposition parties worked out a plan to move together. Three air-conditioned buses were arranged to transport the MPs, with the parties coordinating the movement and ensuring representation from different constituents of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).

 

The buses were stopped at Ashoka Road, near the Shangri-La hotel, about two kilometres from Jantar Mantar. The MPs had the option of remaining inside the buses if there was no provocation, but after seeing protesters on the ground, the leaders decided to get off and proceed with the agitation, reported PTI. Several Opposition leaders were detained after they staged a sit-in and raised slogans demanding Kumar's resignation.

 

SIR, ‘vote theft’ claims at centre of row

 

Wednesday's mobilisation came a day after INDIA bloc MPs marched from Parliament towards the Election Commission (EC) headquarters and staged an around-eight-hour sit-in at Akashvani Bhawan after being stopped by police. Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several other leaders were detained at the end of the protest.

 

The Opposition parties have been demanding Kumar's resignation over their allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll. Opposition parties have alleged that the exercise could disenfranchise legitimate voters and have demanded greater transparency from the poll panel. The INDIA bloc has also called for a return to ballot papers instead of electronic voting machines.

 

The protests followed a September 25 report in The Indian Express about alleged irregularities in the SIR process and differences among the election commissioners over certain decisions. The Election Commission has defended its processes, while the BJP has rejected the Opposition's allegations.

 

CJP ‘Chappal protest’ in Bengaluru

 

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) will follow a People’s Tribunal on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bengaluru with a ‘Chappal protest’ at Freedom Park on October 8. The programme will begin at 10:30 am, with the protest scheduled after the tribunal.

 

CJP co-convener Ashutosh Ranka said the ‘Chappal protest’ would highlight people who, according to the organisers, were removed from electoral rolls during the SIR exercise. The tribunal will bring together alleged “victims of SIR” from across Karnataka.

 

Actor-activist Prakash Raj, who has criticised SIR, announced the People’s Tribunal on social media and urged citizens to participate. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee are expected to attend, with Rathee confirming his participation in a video posted on X.

 

The Bengaluru programme comes two days before the CJP and student organisations’ planned October 10 protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. The CJP, AISA, AISF, SFI and AAP’s student wing ASAP have called for a united mobilisation against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said young people from across the country would gather in Delhi over concerns including what the party calls “theft of votes”, “hijacking of elections” and the alleged exclusion of Gen Z from voter lists.