Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge hosts INDIA bloc leaders for lunch in Delhi on Thursday. The opposition plans a fresh protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Rahul Gandhi said, "We are not going to stop protesting till Gyanesh Kumar resigns." Leaders continue to pressure the Election Commission.
A second opposition show of strength is taking shape in Delhi on Thursday as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge hosts Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc leaders for lunch before a likely protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The lunch is scheduled for 1.45pm at Moets in Connaught Place's Outer Circle, according to sources.
The gathering comes a day after Rahul Gandhi led opposition leaders in a bus procession from a lunch meeting at Sagar Ratna on Janpath towards the Jantar Mantar area, where they attempted to stage a surprise sit-in against Kumar.
Police stopped the procession midway and detained Rahul Gandhi and several other INDIA bloc leaders, leading to heated exchanges between the protesters and security personnel.
"We are not going to stop protesting till (Chief Election Commissioner) Gyanesh Kumar resigns. This is a fight to protect the most sacred thing in this country. There is nothing that Narendra Modi and Amit Shah can do that will stop us," Rahul Gandhi said.
Wednesday's protest saw several dramatic scenes near the Shangri-La hotel, where opposition MPs were stopped by security personnel during the nearly three-hour bus procession.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra lay on the road clutching a copy of the Constitution along with other women leaders as security personnel moved in to clear the area.
Rahul Gandhi also resisted attempts by police to place him in a detention van, while INDIA bloc leaders jostled with security personnel during the confrontation.
The latest mobilisation follows a series of opposition protests against the Election Commission's functioning. On Tuesday, INDIA bloc MPs marched from Parliament and Rahul Gandhi staged a sit-in at Akashvani Bhawan.
Kharge hosted the alliance MPs for lunch at a South Indian restaurant on Janpath on Wednesday, with the meeting followed by the attempted march and sit-in.
The back-to-back lunches and street actions have emerged as part of the opposition's effort to maintain pressure on Kumar and the Election Commission.