NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP Supriya Sule described the INDIA bloc's planned march to the Supreme Court as a non-violent demonstration aimed at seeking justice, adding that the move was prompted by what she characterised as threats to the fundamental and constitutional rights of citizens.

At a press conference, Sule raised concerns about accounts of journalists being held in detention and put forward questions about whether civil liberties were facing restrictions. Those comments were delivered in the period leading up to a planned opposition-led demonstration over how the Election Commission has been operating.

Sule told those gathered that the path forward would involve peaceful efforts to obtain justice, pointing to conditions in the country that she described as unjust. Three members of the press were detained on the same day.

She argued that the system of governance in place guarantees every person the freedom to speak, to move about, and to act on their constitutional entitlements, and asked whether those protections were at risk of being taken away.

Calls for answers over how the Election Commission has been operating came from opposition parties, who also contended that certain democratic rights were being eroded by those in power. Those claims were not accepted as accurate by the party in power.

Rahul Gandhi, who holds the position of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, urged INDIA bloc members and their supporters to join the march under the rallying cry of "Chalo Dilli." A post on X from Gandhi urged supporters to join a march in defence of democracy.

Organisers had set the procession to depart from Connaught Place and make its way toward the Supreme Court on Monday afternoon, under the banner of the "Chalo Dilli" call. Plans for the protest were expected to move forward even though Chief Justice of India Surya Kant had not taken up a meeting with opposition MPs who had raised concerns.

The protest staged by the INDIA bloc unfolded alongside its calls for accountability regarding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, as well as questions raised over reported voting irregularities. Gandhi also put forward allegations that Delhi Police and BJP workers had resorted to physical force against students and women at a protest organised by the Campaign for Judicial Protection, which had been pressing for the Chief Election Commissioner's removal from office.

These accusations formed part of a broader push by opposition parties to scrutinise the conduct of the Election Commission. Dispute over those assertions had not been resolved.

Police and security personnel were deployed in greater numbers throughout the heart of Delhi in the hours before the scheduled procession was set to begin. Officers took up positions along Barakhamba Road and Mandi House, with physical barriers established at a number of points throughout the area. Three forces — the Delhi Police, the Rapid Action Force (RAF), and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) — contributed officers to the security operation put in place for the occasion.