‘Gyanesh, it’s done’: INDIA bloc sits on dharna near ECI office, Rahul demands CEC’s resignation

: Opposition MPs of the INDIA bloc on Tuesday marched from Parliament towards the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The march was stopped by security personnel near the NITI Aayog office, following which the Opposition leaders staged a sit-in protest.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, NCP-SP leader Supriya Sule and several other Opposition leaders participated in the protest. The MPs had assembled at Parliament’s Makar Dwar and marched towards the ECI carrying a “Save Democracy” banner.
During the protest, Rahul Gandhi called for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. In a post on X, he said, “Gyanesh, it’s done, bro. Time to resign.” Opposition MPs also raised slogans including “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod” while demanding action against the Election Commission leadership.
The march began from Makar Dwar at around 10:30 am and proceeded towards the ECI headquarters. However, Delhi Police barricaded the route near the NITI Aayog office, preventing the MPs from moving further. Heavy security was deployed in central Delhi, including personnel from the Delhi Police and Central Armed Police Forces.
The Opposition’s protest is centred on its allegations regarding the SIR exercise and its demand for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The INDIA bloc has alleged irregularities in the electoral-roll revision process and has sought corrective action. The Election Commission, however, has rejected allegations of wrongdoing and maintained that its decisions are taken in accordance with statutory procedures.
Congress MP Syed Nasir Hussain said the Opposition’s demands included the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar, withdrawal of the SIR exercise and restoration of voter names that were excluded or deleted during the process. He also called for a high-level inquiry into the allegations to establish who was responsible for any alleged manipulation of electoral rolls and who benefited from it.
Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav questioned the BJP’s position on the Constitution and alleged that Opposition MPs had previously been suspended and legislation was passed in Parliament. He also questioned the BJP’s authority to issue clarifications on behalf of the Election Commission.
SP MP Jaya Bachchan, while referring to the CEC’s first name, said she believed Lord Ganesha would not support anything wrong and would protect those fighting for what was right.
The protest saw participation from several senior Opposition leaders. However, the Aam Aadmi Party and the DMK did not participate in the INDIA bloc’s march. The AAP has said it would pursue the issue separately, while the INDIA bloc organised Tuesday’s demonstration as part of its wider campaign over the Election Commission and the SIR process.
The Opposition had announced the march following a meeting of INDIA bloc parties and planned it as part of a broader campaign on electoral-roll revision and its demand for action against the Election Commission leadership. The bloc has also announced further protest programmes in the coming weeks.