Rahul Gandhi vows to fight ’till the end’ to restore democracy, targets Modi govt over electoral integrity | Today’s news
Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi vowed to fight “to the end” to restore what he described as true democracy in India, accusing the Narendra Modi government of undermining constitutional principles, electoral integrity and citizens’ right to dissent.
Rahul Gandhi promises to restore democracy
Speaking amid escalating opposition protests in the national capital, Gandhi said the agitation was a collective effort rather than a series of separate demonstrations by political parties. He insisted that the movement had one main goal: restoring the democratic process.
“As I said yesterday, there are no parallel protests. There is one single protest and the protest has a single mission: to restore democracy in India,” he said.
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Gandhi and opposition parties have raised concerns over the alleged unauthorized deletion of voters and irregularities in the SIR. The Election Commission and the BJP deny political bias and say the exercise is aimed at identifying and weeding out ineligible contributions.
Gandhi described the demonstrations as one collective protest to restore the democratic process in India. He said he would continue to fight “until the end”.
Their petition sought an independent, time-bound audit of voter erasures and modifications, along with a suspension of the ongoing SIR pending adjudication of the case. It also asked that no voter be deleted without prior notice and a reasonable opportunity to be heard.
Gandhi said Jantar Mantar was a place for democratic expression and criticized the decision to withdraw its status as a protest site. The opposition called for the restoration of the venue of the protests.
Opposition parties claim that the revision has led to unauthorized deletion of voters and could undermine electoral justice. The Election Commission has denied political bias and says the exercise is aimed at weeding out ineligible contributions.
Gandhi argued that the country’s democratic institutions had been weakened and the constitution disregarded. These were political accusations by the government, which did not accept the opposition’s broader claims of electoral manipulation.
Gandhi’s criticizes restrictions on Jantar Mantar
A key part of Gandhi’s remarks was about Jantar Mantar, a long-standing site of demonstrations in Delhi. He criticized the authorities’ decision to withdraw the protest site’s designated status, arguing that restricting access to the site would not prevent people from voicing their concerns.
“The only method of expressing democracy was Jantar Mantar and now the government has decided that Jantar Mantar can no longer be used to express democratic sentiments,” he said, adding that the opposition would challenge the decision.
The issue became the focus of ongoing demonstrations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Review of Electoral Rolls (SIR).
New Delhi, Oct 13 (ANI): Bihar Legislature LoP Tejashwi Yadav along with INDIA block leaders addressed a press conference on Special Intensive Review (SIR) in New Delhi on Tuesday. Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi and others are also present. (ANI Photo/ Ritik Sharma)(Hrithik Sharma)
Opposition parties claimed that the revision led to the wrongful exclusion of voters and raised concerns about the fairness of the electoral process.
The Election Commission and the Bharatiya Janata Party have rejected allegations of political bias and say the exercise is aimed at identifying and removing ineligible contributions.
On Monday, October 12, opposition leaders led a march towards the Supreme Court and filed a petition expressing concern over the review and alleged electoral irregularities.
Read also | Rahul will host a lunch for INDIA Bloc MPs a day after the mammoth protest
The Delhi Police subsequently registered two FIRs in connection with the demonstration, citing alleged damage to barricades and other problems associated with the march.
Modi, Amit Shah and Gyanesh Kumar named in the charges
Gandhi directly named Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Gyanesh Kumar and held them responsible for what he described as the erosion of democratic institutions.
New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, party leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and KC Venugopal and other leaders of the INDIA bloc during a joint press conference in New Delhi, Tuesday, October 13, 2026. (PTI Photo/Arun Sharma) (PTI10_13_2026_000310A)(PTI)
He warned that those he believed responsible would not be able to avoid accountability, saying “the net is closing around them”.
He also promised that those responsible would be brought to justice, although he did not outline a specific legal process by which that would happen.
The Congress leader sought to present the demonstrations as a broader public movement, rather than an effort limited to the opposition. He thanked the people of Delhi and people across the country who he said supported the protests.
“Yesterday you saw the expression not of a political party standing here, but the expression of the people of India,” Gandhi said, noting that ordinary citizens played a significant role.
Read also | INDIA Bloc Anti-CEC Protest Highlights: Rahul thanks supporters after march
The opposition is signaling that it will continue to resist
Gandhi’s remarks come as opposition parties seek Kumar’s resignation and demand greater accountability for revisions to the electoral roll. The INDIA bloc also demanded that Jantar Mantar be reinstated as an officially designated protest site.
New Delhi, India – October 13, 2026: Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and other leaders of the INDIA bloc during a press conference at Rahul Gandhi’s residence in New Delhi, India on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. (Photo by Arvind Yadav/Hindustan Times)(Hindustan Times)
As clampdowns on demonstrations and confrontations between protesters and police continue in Delhi, the dispute has spread beyond election administration to include the right to peaceful political expression.
Gandhi concluded his speech by thanking journalists for their reporting and courage before reiterating his commitment to the movement.
Read also | Gyanesh Kumar row: Why some demanded resignation of CJI Surya Kant?
“This is about the future of the Indian people,” he said. “We will fight to the end to restore the democratic process in this country.”
The opposition vowed to continue the campaign. Meanwhile, the government and electoral authorities have rejected allegations that the electoral process is rigged in favor of the ruling party.
