Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, along with party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and AISA's Neha Bohra, marched towards the Supreme Court on Monday as thousands joined the protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and alleged irregularities in the electoral process.
NDTV reported that Rahul Gandhi called on people from across the political spectrum, including BJP supporters, to support the campaign, arguing that the issue went beyond party politics and concerned the future of India's democracy.
In a post on X, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said the INDIA alliance had earlier written to the Chief Justice of India, who had asked the opposition to file a petition.
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"We had written a letter to the CJI. He directed us to file a petition. Now, leaders of the INDIA alliance will march to the Supreme Court against vote theft and file the petition," he said.
Gandhi urged people to join the march at Connaught Place or express their support from wherever they were. He said the movement was aimed at defending the Constitution and democratic institutions.
"We invite all Indians to support us," he said, adding that even BJP supporters should join if they believed the Constitution was under attack.
According to NDTV, the Congress leader said the opposition was fighting on several fronts and wanted to send a message that people would not be intimidated by political pressure.
"We want India to believe that India is not scared of anything. Forget Narendra Modi, India can never be scared of anyone," he said, adding that the opposition was winning on all fronts.
Gandhi also made it clear that Monday's march would not mark the end of the campaign. He said sustained public participation would be necessary to defend democratic institutions and that change could take time.
Describing the movement as a tandav, a reference to the dance associated with Lord Shiva, he said anyone willing to participate was welcome.
"This is like Shiva's dance and anyone can join Shiva's 'baraat' (wedding procession)," he said. "This fight is not going to stop. It will continue even if it takes days or years."
The protest comes amid growing opposition criticism of the Election Commission and its functioning under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
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The campaign gained momentum after a report by The Indian Express said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections at least 14 times over the preceding 10 months. Most of the reported disagreements concerned decisions and orders related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Opposition parties have cited the reported differences to question the poll panel's decision-making and have demanded Kumar's resignation.
The Election Commission, however, has defended its internal deliberations, maintaining that differences of opinion are a normal part of decision-making within institutions.
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