Tejashwi Yadav, representing the Rashtriya Janata Dal, told a meeting convened by Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi that the Bharatiya Janata Party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Home Minister Amit Shah had each played a part in undermining constitutional bodies. Following the meeting, Yadav contended that bodies including the Enforcement Directorate, the Central Bureau of Investigation, and the Income Tax Department had been put to partisan use.
Yadav went on to allege that the Election Commission of India, led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, had abandoned its impartiality and moved well beyond what he described as ordinary institutional compromise. In attributed remarks, Yadav separately asserted that Gyanesh Kumar Gupta had worked to undermine democratic norms through what he characterised as a coordinated effort involving the BJP, Amit Shah, and Prime Minister Modi.
The group expressed a shared commitment to protecting democratic institutions, stating that those involved were prepared to accept whatever costs that goal might require. The region draws its identity from figures such as Gandhi, Lohia, Bhagat Singh, and Karpoori Thakur, each of whom left a distinct mark on its political and social character.
Allegations persist that certain actors have been working to undermine the authority of constitutional bodies such as the ED, the CBI, and the Income Tax Department. Yadav added that the Election Commission — and Gyanesh Gupta in particular — had taken that conduct considerably further still.
Yadav took issue with the move to strip Jantar Mantar of its designated protest status, arguing that the step pointed to unease within the administration. He remarked that Gyanesh Gupta had conducted himself as little more than an instrument under someone else's control, and that consequences for such behaviour would follow.
The protest venue was relocated from Jantar Mantar — a location long associated with demonstrations in the capital — to the outskirts of Delhi, a shift that organisers attributed to logistical considerations, though observers have offered differing interpretations of what prompted the change. The RJD leader stated that the move reflects the government's apprehension, and added that Opposition parties remain aligned in their push to hold accountable those named in the alleged conspiracy.
He pledged that the effort would press on, with those involved standing together in pursuit of a favourable outcome. A political party spokesperson alleged that named individuals — including Modi, Gyanesh Gupta, and Amit Shah — had a hand in coordinating what the party described as electoral irregularities, a claim all three have denied. Questions about accountability for their conduct have been put to them from across the public.
Kerala Minister Ramesh Chennithala voiced support for the Opposition, stating that the INDIA alliance and the Congress party intend to maintain their challenge against the central government and the Election Commission of India, with Chennithala attributing the basis of that effort to what he described as Gyanesh Kumar's handling of the electoral process. The INDIA alliance, together with the Congress party, has indicated it intends to contest the matter through every available avenue.
Solidarity across all participating parties was, in his words, not in question, and he indicated that coordinated steps against what he characterised as wrongdoing by the central government — with Gyanesh Kumar named as a particular focus — would be forthcoming. Corruption allegations tied to Gyanesh Kumar's time heading the Public Works Department in Kerala were brought back into the conversation by Chennithala.
An application lodged two decades ago — relating to alleged misconduct and corrupt practices by Gyanesh Kumar during his tenure as PWD secretary in Kerala — was cited by Chennithala, who added that those matters now sit with the state's Anti-Corruption Bureau and Vigilance Director for examination. Reviewers are working through the contents of the document, and the documentation on record points to his alleged involvement in a range of irregular activities.
The state government of Kerala has announced plans to examine the matter in depth, with officials indicating that a formal position on the allegations against Gyanesh Kumar will be set out once the review of the relevant details is complete. Chennithala added that the matter had already been forwarded to both the Director and the Anti-Corruption Bureau of Kerala.
A meeting held at Rahul Gandhi's residence has drawn attention to the path the Opposition may chart going forward, with Congress party figures reported to be assessing ways to intensify their challenge to the central administration.
