Opposition Leaders Urge Citizens to Join Supreme Court March
Following a police crackdown on demonstrators demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, opposition leaders called for citizens to join a march to the Supreme Court on October 12. The call came one day after authorities detained protesters at Connaught Place in Delhi.
Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi announced the march would take place on Monday. He urged citizens to "shed fear" with the phrase "Daro mat." Gandhi stated that a memorandum would be submitted to Chief Justice Surya Kant during the rally. The document demands an end to alleged vote chori, the halting of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), and the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar.
Gandhi criticized the police response to the earlier demonstrations. He stated that peaceful young people were beaten by police officers and supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Members of the Students' Federation of India (SFI), Left parties, and National Students' Union of India (NSUI) workers were among those detained while protesting against CEC Gyanesh Kumar at Connaught Place.
Activist Challenges Detention Terms; Police Defend Actions
CJP activist Abhijeet Dipke, who was released from preventive arrest, claimed he had signed no bond agreeing not to protest. He vowed to "return to the streets," daring authorities to jail him "not just once, but a hundred times." Dipke described police officers as "goons in uniform" and alleged they refused his request for a phone call after he informed them of his grandmother Savitribai Shankarrao Dipke's death at age 85.
Delhi Police DCP Neha Yadav addressed the allegations regarding Dipke's detention. She said Section 133 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) was imposed to prohibit unauthorized gatherings due to previous law-and-order violations, including stone-pelting and arson by the group.
Yadav alleged that officers informed Dipke of his grandmother's death sensitively and repeatedly asked if he wished to speak to his parents, but he declined. Meanwhile, CJP Legal Affairs Head Ratna Singh clarified that the release condition of "no breach of peace for one year" was a standard template signed in all preventive detentions, noting that no special conditions were imposed on Dipke.
Political Fallout and Government Response
The crackdown and subsequent protests have drawn sharp reactions from across the political spectrum. BJP Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar dismissed the opposition's efforts, comparing the party to a cockroach crawling across one's back. He suggested that the protests were insignificant compared to the larger political landscape.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta accused Congress, AAP, Left parties, and CJP of creating chaos in the capital. She praised Delhi Police for their role in ensuring public safety during the unrest. Gupta’s comments highlighted the deepening divide between the state government and opposition groups over the handling of the protests.
As the October 12 march approaches, tensions remain high. Opposition leaders continue to frame the event as a stand against authoritarianism, while authorities maintain that strict measures were necessary to prevent further violence. The outcome of the planned rally will likely influence the broader political discourse in Delhi and beyond.