Delhi protest highlights: INDIA bloc plea challenges ECI's SIR decisions, seeks independent panel to audit deletions

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Delhi protest LIVE: Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday criticised the Congress party and the Opposition over their "Chalo Dilli – March for Democracy" protest in New Delhi.

Speaking to ANI, he termed it an "affront to the democratic system" and accused the Congress of systematically undermining India’s constitutional institutions whenever faced with electoral defeat.

Speaking during his visit to Mizoram, Scindia accused the Congress of possessing a double standard, accepting electoral outcomes when victorious, yet questioning democratic institutions, the Election Commission, and the judiciary whenever defeated.

Scindia highlighted the vast, multi-tiered nature of Indian democracy, stretching from national elections to grassroots Panchayat governance. He asserted that casting systematic doubts on election processes undermines public faith in the world's largest democratic mechanism.

"The protest staged by the Opposition in Delhi today is an affront to the democratic system. In a country where elections are held constantly, ranging from Lok Sabha and Assembly elections down to local body polls for Zila Panchayats and Sarpanchs, casting doubt or a slur upon that very system serves as yet another example of the Congress party’s true intent," he said.

via ANI

Delhi protest LIVE: Congress Punjab in-charge Sachin Pilot on Monday joined the INDIA bloc’s protest march in the national capital, launching a blistering attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the central government over alleged electoral fraud. With the opposition calling for the immediate resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner, Pilot demanded that the Supreme Court intervene to protect the integrity of the democratic process.

Speaking to reporters, Pilot said, "The whole country is on the streets today. Led by Rahul Gandhi and Kharge, all Congress workers from across the country have gathered here. We have one demand: the Supreme Court should hear our plea. The Chief Election Commissioner's actions were illegal and unconstitutional, and he must resign. We have provided proof of vote theft, which establishes that we must fight to save democracy."

Pilot emphasized that the controversy surrounding Gyanesh Kumar has cast a shadow of doubt over the fairness of India’s electoral system.

"The country is facing a major moral crisis. Elections in our country have always been fair, transparent, and impartial. Today, a major question has been raised that vote theft is happening on a large scale. This hasn't just started happening now; ever since Gyanesh Kumar rigged the votes, a doubt has been created in people's minds. Today, it’s not just about the Congress party; every young person and every true Indian citizen wants our elections to be protected. The right to vote is the biggest gift of the Constitution, a gift given by those who fought for the country's freedom. As far as the resignation is concerned, when the country's Vice President can resign, and others can too, why can't Gyanesh Kumar resign?" he questioned.

via ANI

Delhi protest LIVE: Asserting that the opposition’s agitation is centred on protecting democratic fundamentals, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday targeted the Centre over alleged voter disenfranchisement, stating that the INDIA bloc’s massive protest march in the national capital is a crucial fight to defend the "constitutional right of every Indian citizen to vote."Speaking to ANI while participating in the march, the Thiruvananthapuram MP alleged that citizens have been "disgracefully deprived" of their democratic voice due to discrepancies in voter rolls over the past two years, emphasising that ensuring legitimate voters are on the electoral rolls is non-negotiable for India's democracy."We are here to protect democracy. This is about the constitutional right of every Indian citizen to vote, determine their own political future, and make their own political choices. For that, they must have their names on the voter rolls. Sadly, this is what the last two years have disgracefully deprived them of. To my mind, it is essential that those rights be restored. Today is a major step forward in restoring those rights," Shashi Tharoor told ANI.

Tharoor appreciated how it has been an "amazing day for defending democracy", while also decrying police action on protesters the previous days.

"It has been an amazing day for the defence of democracy. The number of people, the throngs, the people I've seen on both sides of the road everywhere we went, and the enthusiasm and commitment they have shown, despite the way the police behaved on Saturday and even Sunday—has been remarkable. People had the courage to come out, and today, thank God, the police behaved themselves, stood by as observers, and allowed the right to protest to manifest itself," Tharoor said.

via ANI

Delhi protest LIVE: Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday said that people across the country wanted the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to be "scrapped", asserting that voters' rights must be protected. His remarks came after INDIA bloc leaders filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission of India's (ECI) decisions concerning the revision of electoral rolls.

"It is not just the INDIA bloc; it is the voice of the country. Everyone wants this SIR to be scrapped and the rights of all voters to be protected. The elections won after this SIR exercise should be scrapped, and the ballot paper system should be restored. This is the pain of the country," he told ANI.

Shivakumar alleged that BJP members had submitted lakhs of Form 7 applications in Karnataka to remove voters belonging to minority, backward and oppressed communities. Form 7 is the official form used to raise objections to the proposed inclusion or deletion of names in an existing electoral roll.

"We never expected such illegal activities. In Karnataka, I showed how BJP members submitted lakhs of Form 7 applications to remove voters from minority, backward, and oppressed communities. Now, those voters are being asked to file Form 6 applications again. They carried out similar exercises in West Bengal, Maharashtra and Haryana, and won elections. They wanted to repeat the same in Karnataka, but we will not allow it," he said.

via ANI

Delhi protest LIVE: The petition filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and 10 other Opposition leaders in the Supreme Court challenges the manner in which the Election Commission has taken decisions relating to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. It seeks disclosure of the EC’s complete files, agendas, minutes, notings and objections concerning the disputed decisions, including the June 24, 2025 decision to commence the SIR, as well as ECINET and ERONET access logs. It also seeks a judicial examination of whether these decisions were taken in accordance with Article 324 of the Constitution, the 2023 law governing the Election Commission and the Supreme Court’s ruling in T.N. Seshan v Union of India.

via ANI

Delhi protest LIVE: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said he is ready to contest elections through ballot paper if Congress governments in Kerala, Karnataka and Telangana resign, asserting that those were also formed through alleged "vote chori" under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Addressing a press conference here, he hit out at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and the Congress over their campaign against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and alleged vote theft.

"I am ready to contest on the ballot paper if Rahul Gandhi and Congress are ready for their governments' resignations. The Kerala, Karnataka and Telangana governments must resign because those governments were also formed through 'vote chori' under Gyanesh Kumar," Sarma said.

Defending the SIR, Sarma said the exercise was needed in the country to check demographic changes.

"The SIR is needed in India. Assam, West Bengal and Jharkhand's demography changed due to huge illegal immigration. Illegal immigration is taking place every day, and if we cannot delete their names from the voter list, India's demography will change," he said.

via PTI

Delhi protest LIVE: Dismissing Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi as a lightweight, BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Monday called him a "hawa hawai leader" and alleged that his actions were aimed at undermining constitutional institutions and tarnishing India's image globally.

He also accused the Congress of making remarks about Sanatan Dharma "when it suited its political purposes"."Ali-Ali at night, Bajrang Bali during the day?" he said.

In a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, Thakur described Gandhi as "destabilising, chaotic and unserious", claiming that the country had never witnessed such "theatrics and tantrums" from a leader of opposition.

via PTI

Delhi protest LIVE: Congress MP Pawan Khera said on Monday that the Opposition will force the government to resign, after INDIA bloc filed a petition against the Election Commission of India. ""This is just the beginning. There are many aspects to this fight. One is the legal aspect, another is the political aspect, and the third is the moral aspect. We are fighting on all these fronts. We will fight on the political front as well. On moral grounds too, we will force them to resign," Khera said.

Delhi protest LIVE: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accused LoP Rahul Gandhi of destroying India's democratic institutions with help from ‘foreign forces’. “SIR needed every five years to arrest demographic changes, save Indian democracy,” Sarma said, news agency PTI reported.

Anti-CEC protest LIVE: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray attended a protest at Mumbai's Shivaji Park against the ECI. Thackeray is among the 25 people who were booked over allegations of unlawful assembly and violation of public order norms for Sunday's protest.

Delhi Protest LIVE: Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav have left from Supreme Court after the LoP's legal team completed the legal formalities pertaining to the petition against ECI.

Delhi Protest LIVE: As Rahul Gandhi reached the Supreme Court on Monday evening, his legal team carried out the formalities pertaining to the petition moved by Gandhi and others before the SC today. The team is led by counsel Prasanna S.

Delhi Protest LIVE: Rahul Gandhi reaches Supreme Court even as cops thwart march

Delhi Police blocks INDIA bloc-led march to Supreme Court at Bhagwan Das Ram Road. Protesters seen returning towards Mandi House.

Delhi anti-CEC protest LIVE: The police are pushing the protesters away from the barricades at the Barakhamba Road amid INDIA bloc's march to the Supreme Court.

Delhi anti-CEC protest LIVE: Rahul Gandhi is the lead petitioner in the plea against Election Commission. Other petitioners include Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav, RJD Tejashwi Yadav, TMC's Saugata Roy, Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Sanjay Raut, JMM's Mahua Majhi, CPM's MA Baby, NCP (SP)'s Supriya Sule, CPI's D Raja and IUML's ET Mohammed Basheer.

Delhi anti-CEC protest LIVE: INDIA bloc leaders' petition against the Election Commission has been filed in the Supreme Court. The petitioners in the case are LoP Rahul Gandhi, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, SP's Akhilesh Yadav, TMC's Saugata Roy and RJD's Tejashwi Yadav.

Delhi anti-CEC protest LIVE: LoP Rahul Gandhi's legal team is at the Supreme Court to file the petition in connection with its allegation of discrepancies in the SIR process.

Delhi anti-CEC protest LIVE: Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi are atop a mini truck as the INDIA bloc leaders are on their way to the SC. The march for now has been stopped at Bhagwan Das road.

Delhi anti-CEC protest LIVE: The INDIA bloc march to the Supreme Court has come to a halt near Bhagwan Das road, some 600 meters away from the court, as the police have barricaded the road.

Delhi anti-CEC protest LIVE: A group of lawyers have started gathering outside the Supreme Court. This includes Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s legal team. The lawyers are waiting for Gandhi to arrive along with senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

Delhi anti-CEC protest LIVE: A group of lawyers have started gathering outside the Supreme Court. This includes Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s legal team. The lawyers are waiting for Gandhi to arrive along with senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

Delhi anti-CEC protest LIVE: As huge crowd gathers for INDIA bloc's march to the Supreme Court, lawyers are also joining in. A big group of lawyers is waiting at Supreme Court.

Delhi anti-CEC protest LIVE: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has joined the INDIA bloc's march to the Supreme Court. “The agitation and sit-in protests will continue. It is our responsibility to save democracy; the BJP, in collusion with the Election Commission, seeks to destroy the Constitution and democracy. They want to remain in power forever. They create fake voter lists, cast bogus votes, and fabricate election result,” Yadav said.