Opposition gatherings and political press conferences filled the day's schedule. Delegates from opposition parties who convened at Rahul Gandhi's residence for a meeting billed as "Chai Pe Charcha" resolved to organise unannounced street demonstrations as a means of sustaining pressure behind their demand that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar vacate his post.
In a brief exchange with reporters, Rahul Gandhi declined to disclose the contents of any plan or decisions reached at the meeting. A spokesperson indicated the demonstrations were set to continue until the group's stated aims had been met. Rahul maintained that those he held responsible would face consequences, adding that pressure on them was mounting.
Rahul attributed the government's move to revoke Jantar Mantar's designated protest-site status to what he described as unease over the INDIA bloc's opening-day demonstration there. He indicated that the ruling would face a further challenge from the opposition. Protests would remain consolidated rather than running on separate tracks, he indicated, with any pushback channelled through a single shared front.
Invoking what he described as "deep regard" for the Supreme Court, Rahul conveyed that opposition parties were looking to the judiciary to fulfil its constitutional function. He indicated that regardless of what the court decided, opposition on political grounds was set to persist.
The BJP then posed a question to the Congress party about whether it would abide by the Supreme Court's ruling. At a press conference held earlier that day, Union Minister Piyush Goyal put forward the view that Rahul Gandhi himself posed the greatest liability to the Congress party. Goyal attributed the party's consecutive electoral defeats to Rahul's approach at the helm and further contended that Rahul holds a distorted view of his own position.
Across the broader opposition bloc, leaders voiced a shared commitment to mounting a coordinated challenge. D. Raja, who leads the CPI, indicated that civil society bodies, farm groups, and trade unions were expected to take part in the demonstrations. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut applied the term "Mafia" to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in remarks directed at the electoral body.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan put forward the position that authorities hold no power to strip Jantar Mantar of its status as a demonstration venue, nor to dictate the terms under which citizens may gather to voice dissent. Footpaths, parks, and other publicly accessible areas were among the venues he listed as places where protests could lawfully take place.
Delegates from the Samajwadi Party joined Supriya Sule of the NCP at the gathering, alongside other attendees. Party workers drawn from across multiple states were directed to remain in the capital, pointing to the possibility of further street demonstrations being organised in the coming days.
The BJP brought forward the case of Richa Pasricha, a journalist who reportedly sustained injuries after being knocked to the ground during a crowd of reporters seeking a statement from Rahul Gandhi. While undergoing hospital treatment, the woman disclosed to medical staff that her pregnancy was approximately three months along. BJP representatives put forward the charge that neither Rahul Gandhi nor the Congress party had shown any concern for her wellbeing, with no one from their ranks reportedly reaching out to check on her. Congress party officials maintained that Rahul's involvement in any such action was something they found wholly implausible.
The BJP additionally brought forward the case of Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, a JNU professor and Congress MP who was removed from his post following accusations that he sought sexual favours from women enrolled as students under him. BJP supporters assembled outside the Congress party's New Delhi office to register their objections. A delegation of BJP women parliamentarians travelled to Rashtrapati Bhavan to place before President Droupadi Murmu their call for disciplinary action against Akoijam, including his removal from the Lok Sabha. The BJP contingent comprised three members: MP D. Purandeswari, who led the group, alongside Mahila Morcha president Roop Kumari Choudhary and Delhi MP Bansuri Swaraj.
