INDIA bloc targets Gyanesh Kumar at Delhi rally, vows to fight 'vote chori' and SIR

'BJP wants only its members to be voters and citizens of the country' says Kharge, questioning electoral-roll deletions in Uttar Pradesh

Calls for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's removal, warnings of legal action over alleged "vote chori" and sharp attacks on the BJP dominated the INDIA bloc's 'Chalo Dilli' rally at Ramlila Maidan on Sunday, as Opposition leaders sought to turn growing anger over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls into a united political campaign.

The 'Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao' gathering brought Congress, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, RJD, Left parties and other Opposition groups onto a common platform, with leaders accusing the Election Commission of facilitating electoral manipulation and the Modi government of undermining democratic institutions.

The rally saw Rahul Gandhi predict imprisonment for Kumar, Mamata Banerjee mock the poll chief as "Vanish Kumar", Mallikarjun Kharge call for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's removal and Akhilesh Yadav question the deletion of voters' names. The BJP rejected the allegations and mounted a counter-protest, accusing the Opposition of disrespecting electoral mandates.

"I want to say to you, Gyanesh Kumar will be removed from the CEC post. Gyanesh Kumar will go to jail," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said, accusing the poll chief of involvement in what he described as an assault on citizens' democratic rights.

Rahul Gandhi also warned Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah of legal action over alleged vote theft, but maintained that the Opposition's campaign would remain non-violent.

"We don't hate Narendra Modi, Amit Shah or Gyanesh Kumar. We are the people who open 'Mohabbat Ki Dukaan'; we believe in Ahimsa," he said.

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee alleged that Bengal had been a victim of the SIR exercise and accused the BJP of using electoral-roll revisions to influence election results.

"We did not lose, we were made to lose. We will fight this democratically," she said, describing SIR as "Special Intensive Relief to a party like the BJP".

Taking a swipe at Kumar, Mamata asked, "Vanish Kumar ji, when will you vanish? We are waiting."

She also expressed solidarity with Gen Z protesters and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), urging people across communities and political affiliations to join the campaign.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that several BJP governments, including the one at the Centre, had been formed on stolen mandates and accused Modi and Shah of protecting the chief election commissioner.

"Modi ko hatao loktantra ko bachao," Kharge declared, calling for the Prime Minister's removal to safeguard democracy.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP of seeking to restrict voting rights to its supporters.

"BJP wants only its members to be voters and citizens of India," he said, questioning electoral-roll deletions in Uttar Pradesh.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav invoked the Mahabharata, comparing alleged electoral manipulation to Shakuni's rigged game of dice.

He also questioned an alleged software arrangement involving Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Seema Khanna, demanding disclosure of the tender documents and accusing constitutional institutions of acting on the government's instructions.

The rally brought together Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Trinamool leader Abhishek Banerjee, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby, CPI general secretary D. Raja and CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, among others.

Earlier, senior INDIA bloc leaders travelled in an open bus from the Minto Road-Connaught Place junction towards Ramlila Maidan, accompanied by supporters carrying party flags and placards.

The mobilisation followed a symbolic "public impeachment" of Kumar organised at Kharge's residence on Saturday. Presided over by former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, the exercise saw Opposition leaders pass a resolution demanding the chief election commissioner's removal and prosecution, although it carried no constitutional or legal force.

Security was tightened around Ramlila Maidan ahead of the rally, with police personnel carrying batons and shields, riot-control vehicles stationed near the venue and traffic diversions planned along the march route. Barricades, separate entry gates and designated enclosures were also arranged to regulate the movement of participants.

Elsewhere, at least 100 students associated with the organisation DISHA were stopped and detained by Delhi Police on Minto Road while marching towards Connaught Place against the SIR exercise. Police prevented them from proceeding further, while the students demanded that the electoral-roll revision be cancelled.

A separate controversy erupted over the closure of shops in Connaught Place, with Gandhi accusing the BJP of forcing businesses to shut despite his appeal to rally participants to support local traders. Police said no official closure orders had been issued.

Meanwhile, BJP president Nitin Nabin led a 'Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao' counter-march in Haryana's Rohtak, accusing the Congress of attacking constitutional institutions because it had failed to secure the people's mandate.

Nabin also questioned the timing of the rally on the anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, saying the Congress should have sought atonement instead of organising a protest.

The BJP maintained that the Opposition was attempting to discredit legitimate electoral processes, while the Election Commission has denied favouring any political party.

The rally marked another escalation in the INDIA bloc's campaign against the SIR exercise, with Opposition leaders pledging to continue pressing for Kumar's removal and accountability over alleged electoral irregularities.