New Delhi – Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi spearheaded a protest march to the Parliament House complex on Tuesday, calling for the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. The demonstration by the INDIA bloc comes amidst escalating concerns over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and recent observations by the Supreme Court regarding changes to Form 6, the statutory application for voter enrolment.
During the march, Gandhi was seen carrying a placard that read: “Gyanesh, it’s done bro!”—a direct adaptation of a viral social media post. He further amplified his demand on social media, tweeting, “Gyanesh, it’s done, bro. Time to resign.” The protest also featured other slogans like “Vote chor, gaddi chhod” (Vote thief, leave the throne) and “Democracy not for sale,” reflecting widespread opposition discontent.
The INDIA bloc's march, which aimed to reach the Election Commission headquarters, was ultimately halted near the NITI Aayog office by police, leading to a sit-in (dharna) on Parliament Street. Senior leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of Congress, Abhishek Banerjee and Derek O'Brien from TMC, and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, participated in the unified demonstration.
The backdrop to these protests includes reports of internal differences within the three-member Election Commission, although the poll body has publicly denied these claims, asserting that all decisions related to the SIR were unanimous. The Supreme Court's refusal to issue an interim suspension of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, while seeking a response from the Election Commission, further intensified the opposition's campaign.
Prior to the march, opposition Members of Parliament questioned the security arrangements around Parliament and the Election Commission, reiterating their demand for Kumar’s resignation. Congress MP Imran Masood accused the CEC of eroding public trust in the Election Commission, an institution he stated was once universally respected across the nation.