On Monday, heightened security measures were put in place across central Delhi as the INDIA bloc readied a march to the Supreme Court, calling for the suspension of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over what the coalition described as irregularities in the electoral process, according to a television news channel.
Physical barriers went up at multiple points around the area, as personnel from Delhi Police, the Rapid Action Force (RAF), and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) took up positions along Barakhamba Road and near Mandi House. Six metro stations — Patel Chowk, Janpath, Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House, Central Secretariat, and Barakhamba Road — had their gates kept shut to passengers from 6 am through to 4 pm, with the closure tied to security arrangements in place for that period.
The protest walk, organised under Rahul Gandhi's leadership as the Lok Sabha's opposition head, took place after Chief Justice Surya Kant opted not to receive the INDIA bloc delegation, which had sought an audience to hand over a memorandum concerning alleged irregularities in the electoral process. According to local media, the Chief Justice instructed the party leaders to bring the matter before the court through a formal petition, noting that proceedings on the issue were already under way.
Speaking on Sunday, Gandhi extended an invitation to opposition parties, student groups, and civil society organisations to take part in the march, framing the event as a non-violent effort to uphold democratic principles and constitutional values.
Allegations were put forward that Delhi Police officers and BJP members had resorted to physical force against students and women taking part in a demonstration calling for Kumar's removal from his post.
Gandhi announced that the opposition plans to submit a memorandum to the Chief Justice of India, laying out three demands: suspension of the Special Intensive Revision process, the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner, and an end to what the party describes as irregularities in the electoral process.
Venugopal, the Congress general secretary, characterised the protest as a stand in defence of democratic principles, adding that the party accepted the Chief Justice's choice not to receive the delegation. Tharoor, a Congress MP, put forward the position that the Election Commission had not followed proper procedures during electoral roll revisions, and called on the opposition to push for the SIR process to be halted and for votes said to have been dropped from the rolls to be reinstated.
The party's assertions about voting irregularities have been put forward by those outside government and have not been independently verified.