Opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi and MK Stalin demand the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, slamming the govt for repressing protesters. Stalin likened the situation to the Emergency, as heavy security was deployed for a planned protest in Delhi.

Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday asserted that democracy will be repaired after the exit of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and once the ruling administration is voted out. Rahul Gandhi, in a post on X, issued a critique targeting 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,” Rahul Gandhi wrote.

Stalin Compares Crackdown to Emergency

Meanwhile, Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president M K Stalin launched a scathing attack against the deployment of heavy-handed state machinery against demonstrators. Comparing current conditions to historical authoritarian episodes, M.K. 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 local political dynamics, stating, “I strongly condemn the TVK Government in Tamil Nadu for acting as an extension of the BJP and unleashing police repression against protesting students. The Union Government must immediately end its assault on the youth who are peacefully exercising their democratic right to protest.”

Emphasizing that the friction extends far beyond temporary policy disputes to core institutional values, MK Stalin noted, “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. Beyond his resignation, all the damage done to the institutional framework of the Election Commission must be undone, and its independence and integrity restored.”

Activist Vows to Continue Fight Over Alleged Vote Deletion

The remarks came following the opposition's demand for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over issues related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. On the other hand, 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 to Delhi, said he was ready to go to jail and would continue his fight over the alleged deletion of votes, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Dipke said threats of imprisonment would not deter him from continuing the fight, adding that he was prepared to go to jail. He claimed that people were being deprived of their voting rights, asserting that he would continue to fight to "save the democracy of India." "And 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 further said.

Dipke also questioned the restrictions imposed in the national capital, alleging that the entire city had been shut down to protect Kumar. "I fail to understand how Narendra Modi can shut down the entire national capital just to shield one man, Gyanesh Kumar. You have halted railway services, shut down the metro, blocked all roads, suspended the internet,” Dipke added.

Heavy Security Deployed in Delhi Ahead of Protest

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 been deployed, amid heightened security measures and a directive from the Union Home Secretary to states and Union Territories to maintain law and order.

The demonstration, scheduled to be held at Jantar Mantar today, has been claimed to be aimed at seeking 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, irrespective 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 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. In view of alleged attempts to record and circulate videos portraying police personnel in a negative light, teams have 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. (ANI)

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