Protests will continue till CEC Gyanesh Kumar resigns, says Rahul Gandhi

Protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar will not stop until he resigns over alleged chori (theft), Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday (7 October 2026), after Delhi Police detained him for the second day in a row while they were on their way to Jandhar Mannatar.

Mr. Gandhi, who emphasized the “politics of resistance,” his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other opposition leaders staged an impromptu dharna at a roundabout barely a few hundred meters from Jantar Mantar, the designated protest site in central Delhi.

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“We will not stop protesting until (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar resigns. This is a fight to protect the most sacred thing in this country. There is nothing Narendra Modi and Amit Shah can do to stop us,” Gandhi said.

During the three-hour bus procession and subsequent impromptu sit-in at the roundabout outside the Le Meridien and Shangri-La hotels, there were dramatic scenes when opposition MPs were stopped by security. A visual of Ms Vadra lying on her back in the street clutching a copy of the constitution went viral on social media.

Security personnel detain Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra during a protest by the opposition INDIA bloc (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) in Delhi on October 7, 2026 | Photo credit: AFP

Delhi Police personnel first forcibly removed Mr. Gandhi, carried him on their shoulders, and put him in a police van. “This is all a panic reaction, it’s all fear,” Mr Gandhi said, sitting in a van after his arrest. When Congress workers punctured one of the van’s tires, it was only able to travel a short distance. Mr. Gandhi was taken to the Barakhamba Road police station and released by 8:00 p.m

A large contingent of women police personnel then removed Ms. Vadra and other women leaders who were lying on the road in protest.

“This is how they treat members of parliament who simply ask to meet the election commissioners. This is how they treat us. They beat MPs. Their police officers scratched me all over,” Vadra claimed.

Police stopped buses carrying opposition MPs, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and general secretary (organization) KC Venugopal, at the roundabout near the Le Meridien and Shangri-La hotels.

However, leaders of the Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) are likely to continue their protests on Thursday, senior Congress leaders said.

“To save the constitution and democracy, the Congress party and the opposition are ready to take to the streets as many times as necessary, face arrest or endure legal cases,” the Congress president said in a post on X.

“The arrest of LOP @RahulGandhi ji has become a hobby of this fascist regime. We are watching the total destruction of Indian democracy in real time. These criminals in Delhi police uniform will pay a heavy price for the way they manipulated Rahul ji and priyankagandhi ji,” Mr Venugopal said, adding that the opposition would return “day by day until the voices are brought to justice”.

Earlier in the day, the Delhi Police had registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Mr Gandhi, Ms Vadra and others for staging a dharna on the Akashvani Bhavan premises.

Calling the FIR a “medal” on his chest, Mr Gandhi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat and Mr Kumar can “do all these things”, “but we will bring them to justice”.

“My guarantee (is) that all four will be brought to justice,” Gandhi said, adding: “They attacked the most sacred thing in this country. They attacked the constitution, they attacked the voice of the people and they will pay for it.”

The unannounced protests began after Mr. Kharge hosted INDIA bloc leaders for lunch at Sagar Ratna, a vegetarian South Indian restaurant.

However, members of the Samajwadi Party (SP) were conspicuous by their absence. Congress downplayed their absence, saying that the invitation was sent at short notice and some parties could not respond.

Several other opposition MPs, including CPI(M)’s John Brittas, CPI’s P. Sandosh Kumar, RJD’s Manoj Jha, TMC’s Derek O’Brien and Mahua Moitra and Congress Chief Whip Kodikunnil Suresh participated in the protests.

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and his Kerala counterpart VD Satheesan were also part of the protests.

The official X handle of the Congress posted a picture of Ms Moitra with bruises on her face and palms. “Brutal treatment of elected representatives by the police shows the total contempt of the poisonous PM-HM duo for our constitution and democracy. This is the reality of ‘We will do it’ declared by the ‘Slogan Sultan’ today,” said Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh in a post on X.

Published – 7 Oct 2026 22:58 IST