Gyanesh Kumar will Go, Repair will Begin: Rahul Gandhi

In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi criticised the administration's tenure and the leadership of the poll panel. “Gyanesh Kumar will go. This government will go. Then the repair of democracy will begin,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president M K Stalin criticised the deployment of state machinery against demonstrators.

Comparing the situation to historical authoritarian episodes, Stalin wrote on X, “The scenes unfolding in Delhi today, and the scale of repression being unleashed against peaceful protesters, bring back painful memories of the Emergency that I lived through. All political leaders, students and young protesters detained in Delhi and across the country must be released immediately.”

Stalin also criticised the Tamil Nadu government, alleging that it was acting in support of the BJP and using police action against protesting students. He called on the Union Government to end what he described as an assault on young people exercising their democratic right to protest.

Emphasising the importance of democratic institutions, Stalin said, “Dissent is not a crime, and democracy cannot survive by silencing those who rise to defend it. The resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar is non-negotiable.”

He further demanded that the damage allegedly caused to the Election Commission's institutional framework be undone and that its independence and integrity be restored.

The remarks came amid opposition demands for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over concerns surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Ahead of the ‘Jantar Mantar 2.0’ protest scheduled in New Delhi on Saturday, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) activist Abhijeet Dipke, while departing from Mumbai for Delhi, said he was prepared to go to jail and would continue his campaign over the alleged deletion of votes. He also demanded Kumar's resignation.

Dipke said the possibility of imprisonment would not deter him from continuing his fight. He alleged that people were being deprived of their voting rights and said he would continue to fight to “save the democracy of India.”

“We will ensure Gyanesh Kumar resigns, because over 13 crore votes have been deleted and people are being stripped of their voting rights; we will keep fighting for that cause. We have to save the democracy of India,” he said.

Dipke also questioned the security restrictions imposed in the national capital, alleging that railway services had been halted, metro services shut, roads blocked and internet services suspended to protect Kumar.

“I fail to understand how Narendra Modi can shut down the entire national capital just to shield one man, Gyanesh Kumar,” Dipke said.

Meanwhile, security arrangements have been stepped up across the national capital ahead of the proposed demonstration. More than 35,000 Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel have reportedly been deployed amid heightened security measures.

The Union Home Secretary has also directed states and Union Territories to maintain law and order.

The demonstration, scheduled to take place at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, aims to demand accountability over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. CJP has called for a large mobilisation despite the Delhi Police denying permission for the protest.

In an Instagram post, CJP said, “10th October. Jantar Mantar 2.0. We're coming together again to raise our voice against Gyanesh Kumar. Thousands of us are expected...”

Following the announcement, Delhi Police instructed its teams to detain anyone attempting to stage a protest, regardless of their location, according to the details provided.

Police have also directed Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) units not to issue weapons for deployment related to the demonstration. Letters have reportedly been sent to the concerned directorates regarding the allotment plan.

Unlike the arrangements made during the INDIA bloc protest, police teams have now been authorised to carry lathis and batons.

Amid concerns about videos being recorded and circulated to portray police personnel negatively, teams have reportedly been instructed to avoid verbal confrontations with protesters.

Those detained are to be taken to six designated centres: Chhatrasal Stadium, Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Yamuna Sports Complex, Surajmal Stadium, the Community Centre in Daulatpur and the Community Centre in Pandrawal.