Screengrab of Rahul Gandhi's video message posted on social media after the 'March for Democracy' procession led by INDIA bloc leaders towards the Supreme Court to file a petition against SIR of electoral rolls and alleged poll irregularities in New Delhi on Monday, October 12.
New Delhi: Anger against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar is spilling onto Delhi’s streets again on Monday, October 12, as the Congress-led INDIA bloc marches to the Supreme Court demanding his resignation, a halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and an end to alleged “vote chori.”
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant has declined the Opposition’s request for a meeting, reportedly telling the leaders to file a petition because the issues are already sub judice. The Opposition had planned to submit a memorandum to him on behalf of the nation, and the march is still likely to go ahead.
The march follows a sweeping police crackdown on October 10 and 11, when the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), founded in May by Abhijeet Dipke, called a protest at Jantar Mantar seeking the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar. Thousands were detained across the city, from about 1,500 by mid-morning, per Delhi Police, to several thousand by night, according to media reports.
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10:50 pm: As the day drew to a close, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took to X to thank protesters. In a long post, he wrote, “I’d like to thank every single person who came out today for this protest. I’d also like to thank the millions of people who showed support in their own way at 3 pm. Thank you to the leaders of INDIA bloc, all the workers of the Congress party and the workers of the INDIA bloc. Today was a very important day because we needed to show the government that the people of India are not going to be intimidated. You cannot beat us, threaten us, or frighten us. We will not accept being bullied. I was wondering where the cowards of the RSS who were beating the young children the day before yesterday were. Where were those people? Because I didn’t see them.”
He signed off with, “I’m extremely proud of every single person who came out on the streets. Thank you.”
09:37 pm: Accusing the Opposition of joining hands with ‘Dimagi Naxals’ and anti-national forces to ‘harm’ the BJP government at the Centre without fighting the polls, West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari asserted that defeating PM Narendra Modi and the BJP in elections would remain elusive for them.
He alleged that the “Deep State” was behind the protests related to the SIR of electoral rolls. Claiming that the entire country was with Modi, he said, “One has to fight the elections to defeat the PM or the BJP, and that will remain elusive.”
Opposition leaders “are holding dialogues with anti-nationals, Dimagi Naxals and Jamaatis on how to harm the country’s elected government and the BJP without fighting the elections,” Adhikari said.
09:16 pm: A delegation of Punjab AAP MLAs has submitted a memorandum to the Akal Takht secretariat, seeking action against Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the alleged entry of Delhi Police into Gurdwara Bangla Sahib in the national capital during the protest.
09:09 pm: Political activist Yogendra Yadav explained how the protesters came to approach the Supreme Court. “We approached the police, but the government did not grant permission for our protest. We questioned the government, but it did not order an inquiry. We tried to approach the Election Commission, but we were not even allowed to enter its office…We approached the President, and today, we have come to the judiciary.
“Since we have faith in the Constitution, we have come to the Supreme Court today, not to protest, exert pressure or make demands, but to make an appeal. We want to ask the Supreme Court: You are entrusted with the responsibility of protecting the Constitution of this country. Where do we go now? We have come here not to put pressure on the Supreme Court but to strengthen its hands so that it can take up the book we call the Constitution of India and read its fundamental rights.”
08:15 pm: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav criticised the Delhi Police’s decision to denotify Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site, calling it a “biggest defeat” for the BJP government and suggesting that demonstrators be given space on Lok Kalyan Marg, where the prime minister’s residence is located.
07:45 pm: “Ye law and order ka mudda hai. Ye mera vishay nahin hai. (This is a matter of law and order; it doesn’t pertain to my domain),” Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant said, when asked about the situation in view of the protests against the CEC in Delhi over the past few days and the associated restrictions.
The CJI, however, asserted that the “doors of the Supreme Court are open for everybody,” whether a commoner or a lawmaker, after he was asked how the opposition leaders can put forth their grievances after he had declined a meeting with Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.
07:37 pm: China said it will assess whether travel advisories are needed for India as the situation evolves, amid protests in Delhi and other cities demanding the CEC’s resignation.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning made the comments at a media briefing here while replying to a question whether China will consider issuing any travel advisory for its nationals against visiting India in view of the protests.
“China noted the developments and will assess whether advisories are needed as the situation evolves,” Mao said.
07:28 pm: Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju criticised the Congress for holding the protest march against the Election Commission and SIR, stating, “brazenly abusing constitutional authorities is deplorable.”
“Protest is the right of every citizen, but brazenly abusing constitutional authorities is deplorable. Congress Party is direction-less now,” the minister wrote on X.
“But they can improve their numbers if they have a matured and committed leader who doesn’t enjoy spending 200 holidays in a year.”
07:26 pm: Indians living abroad have shown solidarity with protesters in Delhi seeking resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar. Demonstrations were held across Europe in London, Berlin, and Amsterdam.
06:45 pm: Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi, and Akhilesh Yadav have left the premises of the Supreme Court after filing the petition.
06:35 pm: As many as 11 leaders, including LoP Rahul Gandhi, filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the Election Commission and three election commissioners.
Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, Trinamool Congress’ Saugata Roy, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Uddhav Sena’s Sanjay Raut, as well as left leaders CPI (M)’s MA Baby and D Raja, Supriya Sule of NCP(SP), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s Mahua Majhi and Indian Union Muslim League;s Mohammed Basheer filed the plea.
05:46 pm: The credibility of India’s democracy cannot be held hostage to the political convenience of opposition parties, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said, referring to the anti-CEC protests.
Referring to an open letter by 124 former IAS, IFS and allied service officers defending the Election Commission’s institutional integrity, Gupta backed the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), saying free and fair polls demand accurate voter rolls, transparent procedures and strong institutions.
05:22 pm: LoP and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, along with other party leaders, filed a petition in the apex court alleging large-scale irregularities in the nationwide SIR of electoral rolls.
04:58 pm: At least 100 Harvard University alumni, students, staff and faculty issued a statement condemning the “unprecedented siege of Delhi by police and paramilitary forces” and its action against protesters.
“We, as alumni, students, faculty, and staff of Harvard University, are deeply concerned by the unprecedented siege of Delhi by police and paramilitary forces and arbitrary, illegal, and unconstitutional police actions against peaceful protesters across the country on 10th October, 2026,” their statement read.
“We strongly condemn police brutality, unlawful detention, and violations of constitutional rights of all peaceful protesters.”
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04:50 pm: Students affiliated with AISA and other Left organisations marched from Barakhamba Road towards the Supreme Court, raising slogans to press for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, hours after Delhi Police denotified the site as a designated venue for protests.
Members of the student outfits who were part of the march to the Supreme Court raised slogans such as “Gyanesh Kumar ko jail bhejo (send Gyanesh Kumar to jail)” and “SIR toh nahi chalega (SIR won’t work)”.
4:47 pm: Minutes after announcing the reopening of entry-exit gates of six metro stations, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) took a U-turn and extended the closure until 5 pm, citing security reasons.
The entry and exit gates at Patel Chowk, Janpath, Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House, Central Secretariat and Barakhamba Road have remained closed since 6 am.
The restrictions, initially scheduled to remain in place till 4 pm, would continue till 5 pm on Monday, DMRC said.
The situation will be reviewed by security agencies, and further updates will be shared accordingly, the DMRC said.
04:32 pm: Protesters have taken over Connaught Place and Barakhamba Road, turning the area into the new Jantar Mantar following the original site’s denotification. Demonstrators filling the streets raised slogans against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Home Minister Amit Shah.
04:23 pm: Social media commentator Utkarsh Gaur has confirmed that journalist Harsh Yadav is with him and legal procedure is being followed, amid concerns over his whereabouts.
“Harsh is with us right now. Legal procedure is being followed,” Gaur wrote on an Instagram story. However, the podcaster’s social account has been suspended in India under India’s IT rules.
04:18 pm: The Delhi High Court agreed to hear a petition regarding the alleged closure of Jantar Mantar as a protest site in the capital on October 13.
A lawyer mentioned the matter before a bench of Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma on Monday, stating that peaceful protests were being quelled as authorities had not earmarked an alternative site for them.
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04:00 pm: Several Aam Aadmi Party leaders were detained while carrying out a separate demonstration against the CEC in the national capital.
AAP leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj, Sanjay Singh, Gopal Rai and other MLAs were detained by the Delhi Police. Responding to the detentions, AAP wrote on X, “By arresting Sanjay Singh ji, the Modi government cannot save the vote thief Gyanesh Kumar. The dictatorship of the Modi government is soon going to end.”
03:48 pm: Congress Leader and LoP Rahul Gandhi along with few others, were permitted to enter the Supreme Court premises as the SC administration agreed to meet five to 10 leaders with their lawyers to submit their petition
The apex court allowed the leaders to file their petition at the filing counter at the court complex.
03:45 pm: The CPI(M) vowed to intensify its struggle against the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, the withdrawal of the exercise and a repeal of the law governing the appointment of election commissioners.
Condemning the police action against protesters in Delhi, the CPI (M) alleged that the crackdown, carried out under the Union Home Ministry’s directions, was among the most brutal in recent times and violated the constitutional right to protest.
03:42 pm: Students’ Federation of India (SFI) members with their bruised arms and marks of injuries recounted their experiences during the protests against the CEC in Delhi, alleging that they were beaten up inside detention buses, while women were sexually harassed by security personnel.
A protester is experiencing hearing impairment after being slapped and was receiving treatment at a hospital, they further alleged.
03:32 pm: Scores of lawyers took to the streets of Delhi, joining the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha to march towards the Supreme Court.
03:15 pm: AISA president Neha Bora has alleged that Delhi Police has made a journalist disappear as his whereabouts remain unknown for over 48 hours.
“Amplify this everywhere until his whereabouts are known!” she said on X.
03:00 pm: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said it would be incompatible with “established ethics and judicial propriety” to discuss the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, the arbitrary arrest of students, and the closure of transportation services.
Noting that the issues mentioned are already sub judice before the Supreme Court, the CJI said it would “wholly contravene the principle of Separation of Powers.”
He reminded Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi that within the constitutional framework, the apex court is not endowed with any administrative powers to deal with the issues mentioned. However, considering the gravity of the issue, CJI Kant said the court is duty-bound to consider problems affecting Indian citizens.
The CJI advised the Congress leadership that instead of a memorandum, they should invoke the judicial powers of the Supreme Court.
He observed that some similar matters are scheduled for hearing on October 13, and informed the party leaders that they can physically submit their petition at the apex court between 10:30 am and 4:30 pm.
02:51 pm: All India Students Association members and its leader Neha Bora left from the Constitution Club for Barakhamba Road to join the INDIA bloc march.
02:44 pm: Opposition MPs of the INDIA bloc converged at the Constitution Club and were headed towards Barakhamba road junction to start their march to the Supreme Court.
The opposition leaders are set to start their “March for Democracy” from Barakhamba Road to the Supreme Court, after which the leaders would file a petition before the court against CEC Gyanesh Kumar to stop alleged “vote chori”.
Several leaders, MPs along with members of the civil society were headed towards Barakhamba road junction from the Constitution Club in cars and buses.
Among them were Congress MPs Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Shashi Tharoor, Sachin Pilot and Mukul Wasnik.
02:38 pm: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accused Congress of creating an atmosphere of anarchy by fostering instability against elected governments to hide its own failures.
“The Congress has not been able to return to power in Uttar Pradesh since 1985,” Adityanath said, claiming that other states across India freed themselves from it after being disillusioned with the Congress.
Adityanath said that, to hide its own failures, the Congress is “hell bent to create an atmosphere of anarchy” by fostering instability against the elected governments.
02:25 pm: Opposition workers began marching to the Supreme Court, with many spotted shirtless at Barakhamba road as they sported slogans on their chests.
02:15 pm: Several Telangana Congress leaders participated in the protest March in Delhi, including Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee chief Mahesh Goud, and others.
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02:00 pm: Congress party workers and supporters were seen gathered outside the Barakhamba Junction in Connaught Place, before the planned march to the Supreme Court.
The workers were heard chanting slogans against the CEC, shouting, “Vote chori” and “Vote chor, gaddi chor.”
01:56 pm: The Delhi High Court granted time till October 13 to the city police to respond to a plea of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) seeking permission to protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar at Jantar Mantar.
At the outset, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma, representing Delhi Police, told Justice Amit Mahajan that he will take instructions on the issue and inform the court on Tuesday.
Noting the statement of the ASG, the court listed the matter for hearing on Tuesday.
01:50 pm: CJP leaders took to X to respond to the announcement of Jantar Mantar being denotified as a protest site.
CJP founder and national convener Abhijeet Dipke said, “Fattu Nandu,” and wrote in another post, “Today, Modi denotified Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site.
“Tomorrow, he will denotify democracy itself,” he said, adding that the “dictator’s” real problem was never the protest site.
“It was the very idea of people protesting.”
Co-convener Ashutosh Ranka remarked, “Why not declare Mt Everest as the designated protest site?”
The organisation’s official X handle wrote, “Jantar Mantar denotified as a designated protest site. What’s next? Denotifying Democracy? Dictator is really Terrified!”
1:43 pm: The Supreme Court has clarified that it has neither approved nor disapproved the alleged changes to the (declaration in) Form-6 in its judgement that held the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) constitutionally valid.
Justice Joymalya Bagchi verbally reiterated what the Chief Justice of India (CJI) had said in an earlier hearing of a separate plea seeking suspension of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the functioning of ECI, that it had not approved any alleged changes to Form 6.
“What the CJI had said was that we had neither approved nor disapproved any such change to Form 6 in our judgement”, Justice Bagchi said to Advocate Narendra Mishra, who has challenged CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s alleged unilateral decisions in the functioning of the ECI on behalf of petitioner Priya Mishra.
1:37 pm: Delhi Police have de-notified Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site, acting on the recommendations of a committee set up by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). An order dated Sunday, October 11, names Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground as the new venues for demonstrations in the capital.
1:33 pm: The office of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) is put to an “Agni Pariksha” (test of fire) every minute, “not necessarily by sacred souls”, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairperson Justice V Ramasubramanian (retd) said on Monday, in the presence of CJI Surya Kant.
Speaking at the NHRC’s 33rd anniversary event at Vigyan Bhawan, where the CJI was chief guest, he described the office as the most powerful and vibrant in the country, and also the most vulnerable.
He thanked the CJI for accepting the invitation despite being in great demand and added that, given a chance, the CJI may like to stay back, without elaborating. The remark drew a light reaction from the gathering and the CJI.
1:30 pm: The Delhi High Court asked Delhi Police how its officers could enter the house of Nadeem Khan, national secretary of the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), who alleges he was confined on September 29 to stop him joining a protest at Jantar Mantar.
“Show us where is in law,” a bench of Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma told the police counsel, who said Khan was not detained and officers only restricted his movement after permission for the protest was denied.
Khan’s counsel, advocate Shahrukh Alam, said police stayed at his home and office from morning until 5.30 pm without any notice or order, and that he has been under constant surveillance since.
The court issued notice and asked for a status report within two weeks. It also recorded the police statement that no further phone calls will be made to Khan and that there is currently no restriction on his movement. Khan has also challenged the blanket prohibitory order banning gatherings across the New Delhi district.
1:15 pm: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant said every lawyer has the right to take part in peaceful protests at designated locations, as the Supreme Court agreed to hear a plea over alleged police excesses during the demonstrations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Tuesday, October 13.
Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan told a bench of the CJI and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana that lawyers had been detained and alleged that Senior Advocate Shadan Farasat was dragged through the streets.
He also claimed that senior advocates Dinesh Dwivedi and Uttara Babbar were detained in buses, that private individuals attacked protesters while police failed to intervene, and that children were struck with lathis.
He said no Section 163 order under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) was available in the public domain, and that videos of the alleged incidents would be shown to the court.
The CJI declined to make further observations, saying the Supreme Court should not become a platform for developments that could undermine its institutional role. A plea by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and others is already listed for Tuesday.
1:12 pm: Keralam Assembly passed a resolution seeking removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
1:00 pm: Addressing a press conference at Indira Bhawan ahead of the march, the Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition said the march will start at 1:30 pm at Barakhamba Junction in Connaught Place. A petition against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the alleged “vote chori” will be filed in the Supreme Court at 3 pm, he said.
Rahul Gandhi has thrown the INDIA bloc’s march to the Supreme Court open to the public, saying anyone who wants to protect the Constitution can join, including supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Gandhi said the fight is not about him or Prime Minister Narendra Modi but about saving the Constitution and the country’s future. He asked those who cannot come in person to show solidarity wherever they are at 3 pm, when the petition is filed. He also had a warning for the CEC, telling him “we will not spare you.”
He further advised Kumar to resign and turn approver. “You have made a mistake, but you are not the mind behind the mistake,” stated Rahul Gandhi.
12:30 pm: CJP leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das went to Parliament Street police station to seek a date for a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar.
Speaking to the media outside the police station, the CJP leaders said they will give the police a 24-hour ultimatum, or they will issue another call to protest.
“We are going to ask Delhi Police for a date to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar. We hope the police will give us a date. If they do not, we will make another call within 24 hours,” Ranka said.
Criticising the security restrictions in the national capital, Ranka said the arrangements affected residents and businesses, particularly with festivals approaching.
“The way Delhi Police has shut the entire national capital down is unprecedented. People are suffering, businesses have been shut…festivals are also coming. Why don’t you give us a designated site to hold the protest?” Ranka said.
This post was last modified on October 12, 2026 11:04 pm