OPPOSITION TAKES THE FIGHT FROM DELHI’S STREETS TO THE SUPREME COURT AS RAHUL GANDHI RALLIES FOR ‘VOTE THEFT’ ACCOUNTABILITY

October 12, 2026

Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has announced a united opposition march to the Supreme Court on Monday, October 12, demanding an end to alleged electoral malpractice, a halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The proposed mobilisation follows a sweeping police crackdown on demonstrators in New Delhi that has triggered sharp criticism from opposition parties and civil society representatives.

Gandhi announced the march in a video message, appealing to young people, opposition parties and civil society organisations to participate regardless of political affiliation, caste, religion, gender or state. He accused police personnel and alleged BJP supporters of assaulting peaceful demonstrators during Saturday’s protests, insisting that the movement would continue despite attempts to intimidate participants.

The Congress leader said the delegation intended to submit a memorandum to the Chief Justice of India, seeking intervention over what the opposition describes as “vote chori”, or electoral theft. The demands include suspending the SIR exercise and removing Kumar from office. Gandhi also named Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat while accusing them of attempting to silence dissent.

The march is scheduled to begin at 1.30 pm from Barakhamba Road. Congress units across the country have been asked to mobilise supporters, while Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is expected to participate alongside his party’s MPs. The Congress leadership has indicated that the march will proceed even though, according to a party source, the Chief Justice has declined a meeting with opposition leaders.

The announcement comes amid widespread criticism of the authorities’ handling of the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) proposed demonstration against Kumar. Delhi Police prevented the gathering from proceeding as planned, citing security and public-order concerns, and detained political leaders, activists, lawyers, students and journalists. The resulting confrontation has widened the debate over electoral transparency, preventive policing and the right to peaceful assembly.

Aam Aadmi Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh alleged that videos and photographs showed senior journalists, Supreme Court lawyers and women being dragged and assaulted during the police operation. He further accused BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh supporters of attacking women protesters in the presence of police personnel. These allegations have not been independently established.

Singh also alleged that police officers entered Gurudwara Bangla Sahib wearing shoes and carrying batons, and assaulted people who had taken shelter there. He accused the government of creating an atmosphere resembling the Emergency and warned that young people would mobilise against what he described as an authoritarian political system.

The claims surrounding the gurdwara have, however, become the subject of a separate dispute. Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president Harmeet Singh Kalka, a former BJP MLA, has lodged a complaint against Arvind Kejriwal and others, alleging that misleading videos were circulated to malign the place of worship and its management. AAP leaders had shared footage purportedly showing police personnel entering the gurdwara, and the competing accounts have heightened tensions over what occurred there.

AAP Delhi chief Saurabh Bhardwaj separately accused the police and right-wing organisations of repeatedly targeting women during demonstrations, referring to protests over the NEET paper-leak controversy and the SIR exercise. His allegations add to the growing political dispute over the treatment of demonstrators and the conduct of law-enforcement personnel.

The Trinamool Congress has also criticised the crackdown. Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien said the reported detention of journalists outside the Press Club of India raised serious concerns about the government’s response to dissent. He described developments on Delhi’s streets as politically dangerous for the ruling establishment.

The opposition’s proposed Supreme Court march marks an attempt to shift the confrontation from street protests to a constitutional appeal. While opposition parties allege electoral irregularities and excessive police force, the government and Election Commission have rejected claims of deliberate electoral manipulation, and Delhi Police has defended its security measures on public-order grounds.

With Gandhi’s march planned for Monday, the dispute is entering a new phase. The opposition intends to place its demands before the country’s highest court, while the allegations surrounding the protest crackdown, treatment of journalists and events at Gurudwara Bangla Sahib remain contested. The march is expected to intensify the national debate over electoral accountability, civil liberties and the boundaries of state power.