The political standoff over Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation intensified on Friday as INDIA bloc leaders met President Droupadi Murmu, Opposition MPs continued their protest in New Delhi, and authorities stepped up security ahead of a demonstration planned by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar.
The Opposition has been demanding Kumar's resignation over alleged irregularities in the Election Commission of India's (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The agitation has also triggered a wider confrontation over the right to protest, restrictions on public movement and the functioning of the poll body.
In a memorandum submitted to President Murmu, the INDIA bloc parties also demanded the repeal of a 2023 law providing life-long immunity to the CEC and election commissioners, and a return to paper ballots for all elections.
They also demanded the restoration of 13.3 crore voters deleted “illegally” from the voter list, and repeal of all Assembly elections held in the last two years, in which conclusive evidence of “vote chori” had been found.
Senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah, CPI (M) general secretary MA Baby, CPI general secretary D Raja, NCP-SCP leader Supriya Sule, RJD's Manoj Jha, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan and Samajwadi Party leader Rajeev Rai met the President as part of the opposition delegation.
In the memorandum, the opposition leaders said the INDIA bloc MPs, representing more than 60 per cent of the country's population, have approached her with grave alarm over the manner in which the entire election system and the democratic framework of India have been “subverted” by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to “steal” from crores of Indians their constitutional right to vote.
“This has destroyed the very foundation of our democracy,” the memorandum said.
“We have incontrovertible proof that 'vote chori' took place on a massive scale in election after election. The Assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Delhi and West Bengal were stolen. Both EVMs and electoral rolls have been completely manipulated by the BJP in several other Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. Democracy is being murdered in broad daylight. This is a crime against the nation, with the chief election commissioner blatantly cheating and lying to the Supreme Court to cover up this crime,” the INDIA bloc leaders said.
They said that the ‘Right to Vote’ is the foundation for representative democracy enshrined in Article 326 of the Constitution and the Election Commission is its constitutional custodian, and not its proprietor.
“He (the CEC) is answerable to the Constitution and not to his political masters. No institution can be permitted to alter the rules governing that right, evade accountability for its decisions, and silence those who demand answers through evasion, repression and criminal conduct.
“We urge you, as the constitutional head of the Republic, to take cognisance of this grave situation and use your good offices to ensure that the following demands are addressed without delay: Resignation of Gyanesh Kumar, the Chief Election Commissioner, and repeal of the 2023 law that provides life-long immunity to the CEC and ECs,” the memorandum said.
It also sought immediate suspension of the SIR exercise and immediate restoration of all 13.30 crore voters “illegally” deleted from electoral rolls, return to paper ballots for all elections, and repeal of all Assembly elections held over the last two years in which conclusive evidence of “vote chori” had been presented.
“We approach you because, in moments when every other door is closed, the people of India look to the office of the President as the final guardian of that covenant.
“We appeal to your conscience, to your sense of justice, and to your abiding duty to the people of this Republic. Do not let their voice be silenced.
“We expect you as the President of our Republic to discharge your duty to protect the Constitution of India decisively,” the two-page memorandum said.
Security arrangements were stepped up across Delhi ahead of the CJP's planned protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10. Delhi Police estimated that around 7,000 protesters could arrive in the capital and said arrangements were being made to prevent unauthorised gatherings.
Police denied permission for the proposed demonstration, citing the short notice, previous instances of non-compliance with directions, and concerns over public safety, law and order and traffic management.
The restrictions prompted sharp criticism from Opposition leaders and CJP representatives.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke accused the Union government of being afraid of young protesters, while spokesperson Saurav Das described Delhi as being in an “Emergency” situation.
Congress leaders also criticised the security measures. Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury questioned the curbs on dissent and the right to protest.
The Haryana Congress separately alleged that several of its leaders had been placed under house arrest or taken into custody to prevent them from travelling to Delhi.
The planned protest also affected transport arrangements. Delhi Police had proposed closing entry and exit gates at 57 metro stations and reducing train frequency at the affected stations ahead of the demonstration.
The Supreme Court, however, directed authorities to ensure that Delhi Metro services were not completely suspended, stressing that security arrangements should not cause undue inconvenience to commuters.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation subsequently announced the closure of entry and exit facilities at select stations from 9 pm on October 9 until 6 pm on October 10. Interchange facilities were to remain available at the affected stations, except at New Delhi Metro station.
Rail services were also disrupted, with several long-distance trains connecting Mumbai and Delhi cancelled or rescheduled. The measures drew criticism from CJP leaders, who accused the authorities of attempting to restrict the movement of protesters.
Separately, the Delhi High Court directed that proceedings at the Patiala House and Rouse Avenue court complexes be conducted virtually on October 10.
The protest against Kumar has attracted participation from political parties and student organisations. The CJP called for a city-wide demonstration at Jantar Mantar, while the All India Students' Association (AISA) announced its support.
CJP representatives urged young people to join the protest, with slogans calling on supporters to travel to Delhi. Sonam Wangchuk also appealed to Gen Z protesters to remain peaceful.
Meanwhile, protests against the CEC were reported outside Delhi as well. In Thiruvananthapuram, a march organised by the Students' Federation of India (SFI) and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) towards Lok Bhavan turned tense, with police using water cannons to disperse demonstrators, officials said.