Two gatherings formed outside the Indian High Commission in London, pulling in opposite directions: one drew diaspora members expressing support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union government, while the other brought together the Students' Federation of India-UK, whose members sought accountability over electoral conduct and called for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The rival gatherings put on open display the contested ground surrounding how India's Election Commission conducts and oversees the electoral process. Those backing the Centre pointed to the government's electoral mandate as justification, while the student organisation described its protest as a stand for accountability in the voting process.

Those who turned out in support of the administration contended that an electoral mandate, conferred through a popular vote, gave the government a legitimate basis to continue holding power. One attendee, speaking to a broadcast outlet, conveyed that the group had assembled to express backing for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the national government, on the grounds that both had come to office through a democratic electoral process and therefore held a legitimate mandate to continue governing.

A separate attendee drew a line between exercising democratic freedoms and speaking against the country on a global stage, contending that protest activity ought not to damage how India is perceived abroad, and adding that asserting one's rights and tarnishing the nation's image are two distinct acts. That individual conveyed to a prominent broadcaster that while raising concerns remained an option, doing so in a manner that undermined the country's standing abroad was a separate matter entirely.

The protest outside the Indian High Commission was coordinated by SFI-UK, which publicised the action on X, calling for Gyanesh Kumar to step down and for the integrity of the electoral process to be upheld. The group's account held that attendees at its event faced interference from protesters aligned with conservative positions. The organisation noted that it carried on with the protest notwithstanding what it described as attempts to disrupt proceedings.

The two rallies unfolded around contrasting views of how India conducts its elections — participants in one gathering voiced support for the administration in power, while those in the other called for greater scrutiny of the bodies responsible for running the vote.

The gatherings in London unfolded at the same time as police in New Delhi took roughly 150 people into custody during protests that had spread through the city's central areas, officers confirmed.

Abhijeet Dipke, affiliated with the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), announced a public gathering at Central Park in Connaught Place on 16 October, with the occasion framed around a flag-hoisting programme operating under the banner of the 'Lehra Do Tiranga' rally. Authorities took Dipke into custody as he was stepping out from the home of Anish Gawande, who serves as a spokesperson for the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) faction, with the planned event not yet having taken place.

Two formal notices were handed to Dipke by the relevant authorities. Under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), a notice barring him from entering Central Park took effect alongside broader constraints on public gatherings already in place across the New Delhi district. A bond requiring the preservation of public peace formed the basis of an alleged violation outlined in the second notice. The notice, originating from the South-West Delhi district administration, made reference to prior preventive measures taken in connection with Dipke, Ashutosh, and Saurav.

Demonstrators linked to the All India Students' Association and allied Left-leaning organisations were taken into police custody during a gathering held near Mandi House in Delhi. Calls for Gyanesh Kumar to step down from his post formed the core of what the crowd gathered to express.

A number of opposition party leaders took issue with the detentions, among them Mamata Banerjee, who previously served as West Bengal's Chief Minister, along with AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.