Rahul Gandhi tells protesters to ignore police lathis ahead of November 1 Delhi march
The Congress leader is calling on opposition supporters and students to join the INDIA bloc's Chalo Dilli rally at Ramlila Maidan, which the bloc says will defend democracy and the Constitution.
Rahul Gandhi on Thursday urged people across the country to join the INDIA bloc's 'Chalo Dilli' march on November 1, telling them not to be scared off by police batons. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said he did not believe the BJP would dare to crack down on the rally, adding that the ruling party 'will not have the guts' to try its usual tactics.
Gandhi framed the march at Ramlila Maidan as a national cause rather than a party event. In a video posted on X, he said the rally aims to protect democracy, end what he called 'vote theft,' and defend the Constitution. He invited anyone who is frustrated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to show up, and he made a specific appeal to students. Student groups, he said, should join regardless of their political leanings if they feel their ideas and freedom of expression are under threat.
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal backed the call with his own video statement. He claimed that 13 crore names have been removed from electoral rolls and that a large-scale fraud is spreading from state to state. Venugopal said opposition workers face lathicharges and detention whenever they demand answers, and he vowed the party would keep fighting. He also said the November 1 rally would demand Kumar's resignation.
The rally is the final step in a series of events the opposition has planned. On Friday, the INDIA bloc will hold a symbolic 'public impeachment' of the Chief Election Commissioner at Mallikarjun Kharge's residence on Rajaji Marg. Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar will chair the proceeding, which centers on alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. After that, supporters will march toward Ramlila Maidan, where a rally is scheduled for November 1.
Congress media head Pawan Khera said the party believes the BJP is trying to derail the march, pointing to claims that trains were being withheld in Telangana and that Delhi traders were being pressured. He said those efforts would fail and that the march would go ahead. Khera also described the protest as being for voters he said were disenfranchised through the revision exercise, as well as for people he said were affected by welfare and health problems linked to it. The BJP has not been quoted in the source material responding to these specific claims, so the allegations remain the opposition's account.
For readers, the stakes are simple. The opposition is making electoral roll revisions and the Election Commission's conduct the central issue heading into a major Delhi demonstration, and the police response on November 1 will likely shape how the confrontation is seen. Anyone planning to attend should watch for official permissions and traffic advisories as the date approaches. The original report is available at The Daily Pioneer.
