Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and senior INDIA bloc figures filed a Supreme Court petition on Monday over alleged wrongful voter deletions and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, hours after a “March for Democracy” through central Delhi was stopped at police barricades. The confrontation capped a weekend of tightened security in the capital as parties escalated their “vote chori” campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
What happened on the march
Hundreds of opposition MPs, state leaders, and supporters set out Monday morning toward the Supreme Court to hand over their petition, part of a broader push that includes demands to halt the SIR exercise, restore paper ballots, and remove Kumar from office. Police blocked Bhagwan Das Road, preventing the column from reaching the court complex on foot as planned.
Congress leaders said the restrictions showed the government was treating peaceful protest as a security threat. Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar had issued a standing order on Sunday designating Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground, and CBD Ground in east Delhi as the only approved demonstration venues, effectively denotifying Jantar Mantar after days of opposition gatherings there.
Court route after the CJI declined a meeting
Gandhi and Rajya Sabha opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge had written to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on 10 October requesting a meeting on Monday afternoon to submit a memorandum. Court sources said the chief justice declined, citing judicial propriety and noting that related issues are already before the Supreme Court on the judicial side.
With the direct meeting off the table, bloc leaders proceeded with a formal petition on alleged deletions and SIR process complaints. India Today and other outlets reported that the filing was coordinated with the street march, even though police containment kept many demonstrators away from the court gates.
Security measures across Delhi
Authorities deployed heavy barricades around Connaught Place and key intersections, restricted entry and exit at dozens of metro stations for much of Monday morning, and maintained a large police presence after earlier protests that saw detentions and clashes. The Hindu’s live coverage noted high-security arrangements across New Delhi as the INDIA bloc’s “Chalo Dilli” call drew leaders including Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, and Tejashwi Yadav.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh accused the government of panicking, writing on social media that democracy was being reduced to a fight over “demokursi,” or seats of power. The BJP has rejected opposition allegations of electoral fraud and defended the election commission’s roll revision as a statutory cleanup exercise.
What the opposition is asking the court to do
While the full text of Monday’s petition was not immediately public, bloc leaders have repeated three demands in public statements: investigate alleged wrongful removals from voter lists, pause or reform the SIR process, and address governance concerns at the election commission leadership level. Opposition parties have also linked the protests to broader claims that the ruling coalition benefited from irregular roll maintenance.
The government, for its part, has pointed to existing Supreme Court dockets on election matters and warned against disruptions to public order. With the march stalled but the court filing lodged, the next phase of the dispute is likely to play out in written submissions and hearings rather than on the streets—unless police continue to restrict access to traditional protest sites as opposition parties plan further demonstrations.