Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, the RSS chief and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had destroyed democracy in the country, adding that he did not care what the BJP said and was standing there to protect democracy. 

He alleged that Mr. Modi, Mr. Shah and the RSS chief had “hijacked” the country through “vote chori” carried out by the Chief Election Commissioner, and warned that all of them would face action. 

What had been done to the country was treason, Mr. Gandhi said, declaring that none of them would be spared, be it Mr. Modi, Mr. Shah, the RSS chief or Mr. Kumar.

-Inputs from PTI

Delhi Police personnel deployed for the protest were equipped with body cameras, in a heightened documentation measure, days after three women journalists alleged sexual harassment by police personnel during a previous demonstration at Jantar Mantar.

-Lavpreet Kaur

Read more:

Barricades, diversions and security restrictions turned key roads in Lutyens’ Delhi into long stretches of slow-moving traffic, as the INDIA bloc’s march towards the Election Commission disrupted movement across the New Delhi area.

Bumper-to-bumper traffic built up on several stretches, with vehicles inching forward amid diversions and intermittent stoppages. At several points, long queues spilled back onto adjoining roads as motorists struggled to find alternate routes through the heavily barricaded area.

The congestion left commuters stranded for prolonged periods, with several saying they were stuck for at least an hour. Some commuters abandoned their vehicles and switched to the Metro or walked to reach destinations in central Delhi.

Traffic was severely affected on the Connaught Place, Patel Chowk, Rafi Marg, Parliament Street stretch, Motilal Nehru Marg, Teen Murti Marg, Prithviraj Road, Windsor Place, Ashoka Road, and Jantar Mantar Road.

-PTI

A Congress activist climbed on top of the bus with NSUI flag. Just as he was waving the flag, two Delhi Police personnel climbed behind him and pulled him down.

The Opposition wanted to do a peaceful march... This overwhelming [force] is not required, says Congress MP Sasikanth Senthil 

Indian Youth Congress members attempt to break open Akashwani Bhawan gates, where protesting MPs, including the Gandhi siblings, are lodged by Delhi Police. 

A scuffle breaks out between Youth Congress and Delhi Police as Youth Congress activisits resist arrest. The activists are hoever being detained. - Sobhana K. Nair

Delhi Police wear body cameras while detaining protesters and MPs. 

Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke alleged that CJP activists were receiving police notices and being pressured not to participate in the CJP’s proposed agitation in New Delhi on October 10. The CJP has proposed an agitation at Jantar Mantar to press for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

“I have said multiple times that the Maharashtra Police is the best police force in the country, and the Delhi Police should learn from them. But it is heartbreaking that the Chandrapur police served notices to CJP workers, telling them not to participate in the agitation at Jantar Mantar. They also asked about the source of the expenses for travelling to Jantar Mantar,” Mr. Dipke said.

-PTI

The BJP on Tuesday slammed the INDIA bloc’s march to the Election Commission demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra accused Mr. Gandhi of trying to spread “confusion” and “boost his politics” by misquoting the Supreme Court. Citing the Supreme Court’s Monday hearing on a PIL, Mr. Patra said the court did not say that Form 6 was illegal.

“The Supreme Court did not make any such statement. It has just issued notices. A hearing has not even taken place yet. The CJI has stated that the matter will be examined when a hearing takes place. Yet, Rahul Gandhi is attempting to create an atmosphere of anarchy, lies, deceit, and confusion in the country,” the BJP MP said.

“The Congress has been repeatedly trying to launch and re-launch Rahul Gandhi by any means necessary. When, despite numerous attempts, he failed to gain traction, the Congress and some of its allies decided that even if it meant resorting to anarchy and undermining the nation’s democracy, they would launch Rahul Gandhi politically at any cost,” he said.

-PTI

After being prevented from proceeding further, Opposition MPs sat on the road in protest. They carried cutouts depicting Mr. Kumar in an RSS uniform and raised slogans, including “BJP hai CEC hai”, “Vote chor, gaddi chhod” and “Democracy not for sale”.

-PTI

Area Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma reached the Akashvani Bhawan premises with a large posse of policemen in a bid to evict the protesting opposition members.

-PTI

Senior Congress leader and General Secretary K.C. Venugopal climbed onto the Akashwani Bhawan’s grills. Police were negotiating with him but he refused to leave.

-Sobhana K. Nair

Congress MP and president Mallikarjun Kharge has left the protest site as he is unwell.

-Sobhana K. Nair

Nineteen parties that joined the INDIA bloc meeting have attended the protest march to the ECI, including 237 MPs. 

MPs from the DMK and AAP did not join.

-Sobhana K. Nair

Both Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi were detained by the police, along with other protesting Opposition MPs, during their march to the ECI. But the duo exited the bus and proceeded to Akashwani Bhawan.

Meanwhile, SP’s Akhilesh Yadav and TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee were detained on another bus.

-Sobhana K. Nair

Police are filling up buses with MPs. Two buses are currently at location, packed with opposition Parliamentarians

-Sobhana K. Nair

Rahul Gandhi and Abhishek Banerjee climb atop police barricade as they are prevented from marching towards Election Commission.

Priyanka Gandhi has reportedly been detained.

-PTI

The BJD said its MPs are participating in the opposition parties’ protest march in New Delhi.

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Parliamentary Party leader in the Rajya Sabha Manas Mangaraj said the decision was taken at the direction of party president Naveen Patnaik.

“As directed by our party president Patnaik, our MPs will participate in the protest march,” Mr. Mangaraj said.

He said the BJD has been demanding Kumar’s resignation over his alleged role in the SIR exercise.

-PTI

MPs of the INDIA bloc began a march from Parliament towards the Election Commission headquarters to demand Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation amid allegations of irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls.

Leaders of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi was among the leaders taking part in the march.

-PTI

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi, along with other INDIA bloc MPs, set to march from Parliament to the ECI, demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.

The Congress today alleged that the West Bengal assembly polls were a “text book case of mass manipulation and rigging” which was overseen by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and asserted that the “puppet” has to go, but the “two puppeteers” too have to be held accountable.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared the screenshot of a media report which claimed that judges of more than a dozen Tribunals appointed in West Bengal on the orders of the Supreme Court to process SIR appeals, including of 27 lakh deleted electors, have highlighted glaring gaps in a digital portal set up for them by the Election Commission of India’s IT division.

In his post on X, Mr. Ramesh said, “More skeletons are tumbling out of the Election Omission of India’s closet.”

“Clearly the PM-HM (Narendra Modi-Amit Shah) strategy was to somehow capture and win the West Bengal Assembly elections at any cost. It was a text book case of mass manipulation and rigging which was overseen by the CEC,” Mr. Ramesh alleged.

-PTI

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav arrives in Delhi ahead of the INDIA bloc’s protest march to the Election Commission headquarters.

Complaints and objections against the Election Commission and the way it is functioning are not being raised for the first time, he said.

“The Election Commission seems to believe that only those people who are members of the Bharatiya Janata Party are Indian citizens. On several occasions, it appears that the Election Commission also believes that only those who are members of the BJP are entitled to vote,” he said.

“People used to say that the BJP functions like an election machine and does not win elections merely through the electoral process. It has a lot of money. In Bengal, we saw how booths were captured through the use of force. And this did not happen only in Bengal. Before that, it happened in Uttar Pradesh,” the SP chief added.

-ANI

Delhi Traffic Police on Tuesday issued a traffic advisory in view of special arrangements for the planned march by INDIA bloc MPs to the Election Commission office, with traffic to be regulated or diverted from 8 a.m. onwards at and around several key areas of the New Delhi district.

According to the traffic advisory, movement is likely to be affected around Connaught Place, Patel Chowk, Parliament Street, Patel Chowk-GPO, Windsor Place-GPO, Ashoka Road, Jantar Mantar Road and adjoining areas due to barricading and traffic diversions.

The Delhi Traffic Police advised commuters to avoid unnecessary travel through the affected areas and expect diversions, barricading and congestion.

Commuters have been advised to plan their journeys, allow extra travel time and prefer Metro or public transport wherever feasible. They have also been asked to follow directions from traffic personnel and signage and avoid stopping or parking near restricted areas.

-ANI

Security arrangements have been significantly stepped up around Vijay Chowk in the national capital on Tuesday (October 6, 2026) in view of a planned protest demonstration by opposition parties, with Delhi Police setting up multiple layers of barricades to maintain law and order and prevent any untoward incidents. Heavy presence of RAF (Rapid Action Force) personnel around Akashvani, ahead of INDIA bloc MPs’ march to the Election Commission office today amid the CEC Gyanesh Kumar matter.

ANI

The Supreme Court on Monday (October 5, 2026) distanced itself from the controversial alterations made to Form 6 for registering new voters during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across several States, shifting scrutiny to the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Security arrangements were heightened around the Election Commission headquarters in Delhi on Tuesday (October 6, 2026) in view of the INDIA bloc’s planned protest over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, officials said.

Security has also been stepped up at key points in New Delhi in view of protest calls issued by different organisations over the SIR exercise, they said. The heightened deployment was put in place as several organisations and opposition parties have announced demonstrations in the national capital over alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls.

The INDIA bloc has announced that its opposition MPs will march to the Election Commission headquarters on Tuesday and its leaders will meet President Droupadi Murmu to raise concerns over the SIR exercise.

The protest call was issued after a meeting of 19 opposition parties on September 30.

PTI