Congress MP and LoP Rahul Gandhi being detained during a sit-in protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar (Img: X/ @INCongress)
New Delhi: The political confrontation between the Opposition and the Election Commission is intensifying, with the INDIA bloc preparing for a larger protest in Delhi over Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The mobilisation comes after two consecutive days of detentions involving several Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
INDIA bloc MPs are expected to step up their agitation on Thursday, with more lawmakers likely to join the protest. The decision followed a meeting hosted by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, where Opposition parties discussed their next course of action.
Also Read: ‘Want 100 FIRs’: Rahul Gandhi Steps Up Attack on CEC Gyanesh Kumar, Announces Protest
The Opposition's immediate demand is the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar. The parties have also raised objections to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and alleged irregularities in the electoral process.
Delhi: Protests against the SIR and ECI continue, with opposition MPs and several organisations taking to the streets against CEC Gyanesh Kumar. In view of the protests, security has been tightened at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Section 163 of the BNS has also been imposed in several areas of the national capital.
#Delhi #SIR #ECI #GyaneshKumar #JantarMantar
— Dynamite News (@DynamiteNews_) October 8, 2026
The latest confrontation took place on Wednesday when buses carrying Opposition MPs towards Jantar Mantar were stopped near Ashoka Road. The leaders got off the buses and staged a sit-in after police prevented them from proceeding towards the designated protest venue.
Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were among those detained. Delhi Police said 91 INDIA bloc leaders and workers were taken into custody during the protest.
Priyanka Gandhi later alleged that police personnel manhandled women MPs during the detention. Police action has become a major point of contention between the Opposition and authorities.
The INDIA bloc is also seeking President Droupadi Murmu's intervention. A 10-member Opposition delegation is expected to meet the President and raise concerns over the SIR exercise and their demand for action against the CEC.
The agitation is no longer limited to Parliament and central Delhi. The Congress has announced protests at state, district and block levels, describing October 8 as a "Black Day" for democracy.
With the Opposition promising to continue its campaign until its demands are addressed, the CEC row is set to remain a major political flashpoint.
SP MP Rajeev Rai will represent the Samajwadi Party at the Kharge luncheon in CP today at 1.45 pm.
BJP leader Pradeep Bhandari criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the Opposition’s protest against the Election Commission, alleging that Gandhi pushed female police personnel and threatened men in uniform.
Bhandari accused the Congress of 'provoking anarchy' and questioned the need for street protests when the matter concerning the Election Commission is already before the Supreme Court.
He also asked whether the Congress did not have faith in the judicial process, arguing that matters before the court cannot be decided through street mobilisation.
CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar said the Opposition will intensify its protest demanding the resignation of Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, with the movement set to continue until the demand is met.
He said the decision was taken at a meeting of INDIA Bloc leaders on September 30 and that all Opposition parties, including the BJD, which is not formally part of the alliance, are part of the protest.
With most MPs still in Delhi, the Opposition will chalk out its future course of action, Kumar said. He added that several youth and student organisations are also likely to join the movement, which began in 2025 and has now gained greater momentum.
Kumar said the protest had become a “need of the nation” and that the Opposition was united in continuing it.
Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, has invited the Opposition MPs for lunch on Thursday, marking the second consecutive day of such a meeting amid the Opposition’s protest against the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has invited all Congress MPs for lunch at a Restaurant in Connaught Place at 1 pm. From there, all the MPs will proceed to Rajghat.
#INDIABlocProtest @INCIndia @kharge
— Dynamite News (@DynamiteNews_) October 8, 2026
The lunch is scheduled for 1.45 pm at Moets K-14 in Connaught Place, close to Jantar Mantar, where the Opposition MPs are protesting, as well as the office of the Election Commission.
Delhi Police has registered another FIR against Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for allegedly assaulting police personnel and obstructing government work during the party’s protest here on Wednesday, police sources said. The case has also been filed against several other Congress leaders and party workers who participated in the protest.
Police said the FIR relates to incidents reported during the demonstration and that the allegations and the role of those involved are being examined. A total of 91 people, including several MPs and leaders, were detained during the protest. Rahul Gandhi had led INDIA bloc leaders in a street protest on Wednesday before he was detained again along with several MPs by the police.
Delhi: Protests against the SIR and ECI continue, with opposition MPs and several organisations taking to the streets against CEC Gyanesh Kumar. In view of the protests, security has been tightened at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Section 163 of the BNS has also been imposed in several areas of the national capital.
#Delhi #SIR #ECI #GyaneshKumar #JantarMantar
— Dynamite News (@DynamiteNews_) October 8, 2026
Security arrangements were tightened in central Delhi around Sansad Marg, the Election Commission office and the Jantar Mantar area on Thursday morning. Visuals from the spots showed a heavy security presence in the areas.
Opposition parties are also seeking a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu over the SIR issue and Gyanesh Kumar’s removal. A meeting with a delegation of 15 leaders was sought, while 10 members have been permitted to meet President Murmu, sources said. TMC chief Mamata Banerjee is expected to be part of the delegation.
