Opposition Leaders March to Supreme Court Demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar Resign

Leaders of the INDIA bloc, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, began a march from central Delhi toward the Supreme Court on Monday afternoon. They planned to submit a memorandum demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, a halt to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, and an end to what they call vote chori. The march started from the Connaught Place-Barakhamba Road junction around 1:30 p.m.

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant had declined a request for a meeting, citing that similar matters are already pending before the court and that the judiciary does not take up such issues through administrative channels. He told reporters that every citizen has the right to approach the court and that it will hear concerns and grant what is due under the law. The opposition said it would still deliver the memorandum.

Delhi remained under heavy security for a third day. More than 30,000 police and paramilitary personnel were deployed. Entry and exit points at six metro stations, including Patel Chowk, Janpath, Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House, Central Secretariat and Barakhamba Road, were closed from early morning until 4 p.m. Traffic advisories warned of diversions in central Delhi. On Sunday the Supreme Court ordered authorities to lift prohibitory orders under Section 163 around the court complex itself after earlier detentions.

The protests follow a weekend of demonstrations by the Cockroach Janta Party and others that led to thousands of detentions. Opposition parties allege that under Kumar the voter rolls are being manipulated in ways that favour the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Election Commission and the BJP have rejected the charges. Gandhi has said the fight is against larger powers behind the CEC and has called on police personnel and the public to join. He described Delhi as turned into a fortress with people stopped from reaching the capital.

Earlier, the bloc submitted a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu. The current march is framed as an appeal to the judiciary after the executive and the Election Commission have not responded to their demands. Kharge said they sought time between 4 and 5 p.m. to place their concerns before the Chief Justice. Several senior opposition leaders, including Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav, signalled support.

The Supreme Court held a rare Sunday hearing on contempt and habeas corpus petitions related to the protests. Justices directed that peaceful citizens should not face illegal detention and that movement should be allowed in accordance with the law. Whether the memorandum reaches the Chief Justice or is simply received by the registry will determine the next procedural step. The opposition has said the agitation will continue until Kumar steps down and the electoral system is revised.

The episode places the Election Commission at the centre of a sustained political confrontation weeks after the Special Intensive Revision process began. Both sides have framed the dispute as a question of the integrity of the voter list, with the opposition seeking judicial intervention and the government and commission maintaining that the process is lawful.