Rahul tells youth to “keep protesting” even as Congress stayed out of Saturday’s agitation
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had a message for protesters on the streets of the capital on Saturday: “Youth of India, I am proud of you. Keep protesting. We stand with you.” However, he sent it as a video message because he and his group were conspicuously absent from the campaign this weekend.
The Congress also attacked the Narendra Modi-led government for “turning Delhi into a fortress” to stop protests called by youth organisations. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the Center of turning the “mother of democracy” into a “muzzled democracy”.
CEC Protest LIVE Updates: October 10, 2026
However, Mr Gandhi’s decision to leave Delhi on Saturday and head south for the latest edition of his student program ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ in Chennai has raised questions about the Congress’s approach to the wider agitation.
Later, party general secretary (organization) KC Venugopal appealed to citizens to join the proposed INDIA Bloc march to the Supreme Court on Monday. The Congress, as part of the INDIA bloc, has been protesting in the capital for the past four days demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and a halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
“BJP-RSS cowardice on full display”
Mr Gandhi said he had fought Mr Modi and the RSS for over a decade and understood them like the back of his hand.
“The basic characteristic of these people is cowardice,” he said. “Mr. Modi, do what you want. Call all the police: 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, whatever you want. Arrest all the leaders. Arrest all the young people. Arrest us all. We are surrounding you and we are not going to back down. Mark my words: we already have the information we need.”
Echoing him, Mr Kharge said the “cowardice of the BJP-RSS is on full display today”.
“Our youth, students, lawyers, journalists, social activists, farm union leaders, YouTubers, content creators, all who challenge this regime are being detained. Modi Govt has turned the ‘Mother of Democracy’ into a ‘Muzzle Democracy’!” said Mr. Kharge.
There is no explicit confirmation
Mr Kharge’s strong condemnation comes amid questions about the Congress’ reluctance to explicitly support protests called by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and several student and youth organisations, including those affiliated to its own allies.
However, his statement is a strong public defense of the protesters’ right to dissent, although the party itself has not formally joined Saturday’s protest mobilization.
Youth in the foreground
The Congress chief said detentions, arrests, jails, lathis and pellets could not deter the Indian people, adding that “since the days of our freedom struggle, the youth has been at the forefront of shaping the nation’s destiny”.
“The Congress party along with the united opposition will fight tooth and nail against this tyrannical regime,” he said. “We have shed our blood to win India’s freedom. We will continue to fight, with all our might, to defend our democracy, our constitution and the fundamental rights of every Indian,” he added.
I have been fighting with Narendra Modi and RSS for more than a decade. I understand them like you understand your opponent – inside out, like your shoes. The basic characteristic of these people is cowardice. Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Mohan Bhagwat, Gyanesh Kumar and Ajit Doval, the villains of this story, are slowly finding the space closing in around them. We’re closing that space. Mr. Modi, do what you want. Call all the police: 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, whatever you want. Arrest all the ringleaders. Arrest all the young people. Arrest us all. We are surrounding you and we are not going to back down. Mark my words: we already have the information we need. We will defend our constitution. We will protect the voice of Indian people. And we will ensure that what happened to India in the last 10-15 years never, ever happens again. Indian youth, I am proud of you. Keep protesting. We stand with you. We will ensure that this regime and the people who attacked our constitution are defeated. I am Narendra Modi, RSS and आसे स्थाने साथा लोगो खिलाफ अक दक्सा से भी ज्ञाय समाय साड ़ हू। में अपने नोग्टियों को उत्ती अत्ता अततात हू। मैं इने आन्डर तक जुना हू। आन लोगों की सुबे बेदी अधिज्ञान है – काया. Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Mohan भागनत, ञथत, ञथञथ Kumar, Ajit Doval – एस कहानी के खलनबतक – धीरे-धीरते जा रहे है। इंके चार्य तर्फ से रागो सिमत रहा है॥ जो करना है, कर जाई. जिट्न पुलीस बुलानी है, bula जाजार, जिहहै हजार, 50 हजार, जिट्न चहें bula लीजी सारे नियाटर को गिर्फ्तार कर जाजार. স্র্যান্যান কো গির্ত্র ক্র কাজে. हम साबको गिर्फ्तार कर जाई। अध्वायये मत – हम अपाई चार्य तर्फ से गैत अवर हम ज़र हैतने वाले नहीं हैन. मेरी बात याद रहीजी – हैमे जो जानकाई, तचाई चा हैमरे पास पहले से है. हम अपने का राक्षा की रक्षा करेंग हम हिन्दस्टान की जानता की अवास की हैत करेंग अवर हम यह सुच्चे करेंग की वेले.सा 10-15 में हिंदोस्तान के साथ हिन्दोस्तन के है है, वह अथ कब्धी, की शी सुरत में नहीं. हिन्दुस्टान के जूवाना, मुज्ञे आप पव गर्गर्गर॥तमुाों अपना अध्य जारी रहीजी। हम अप्के साथ कादे हैन More information செர்குத்து पर अमला करें वालोन को शिकईई..त
—Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 10, 2026
“A War Against Your Own People”
Mr. Venugopal accused the government of fighting its own citizens, claiming that train services were closed, 57 metro stations were closed and mass arrests were being made in the state capital with central reserve police forces deployed.
“The Modi-Shah regime has officially waged a war against its own people,” Mr Venugopal said in a post on X. He described the protest as a non-violent satyagraha against what he called “illegitimate dictators”, accusing the government of suppressing it in a “brutal and repressive manner”.
“RIP Indian Democracy (1947-2026),” he added.
In a separate post on X, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, “India is no longer a democracy. It is a dictatorship run by Mr. Narendra Modi and Mr. Amit Shah.”
“An attempt to undermine the right to vote”
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the prime minister and home minister were shaken by the peaceful protests by youths against what he described as a systematic attempt to undermine the right to vote guaranteed under Article 326 of the Constitution.
Mr. Ramesh claimed that the CEC followed the instructions of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister at the time of his appointment. He also pointed to the passage of the Chief Electoral Commissioner and Other Electoral Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill 2023, in which he claims the Legal Protection of Electoral Commissioners Act was pushed through Parliament in December 2023, when 145 opposition MPs were suspended.
Mr Ramesh called for Mr Kumar’s resignation, saying it had become a “moral imperative”. He also demanded a halt to the SIR, claiming that nearly 14 million Indians were disenfranchised during the exercise. He said scrapping the review was necessary to restore public confidence in the electoral system.
Published – 10 Oct 2026 15:16 IST