INDIA bloc leaders protest at Election Commission headquarters

Police personnel deployed along the high-security corridor struggled to contain the march as lawmakers, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Supriya Sule, and Samajwadi Party MP Zia-ur-Rehman Barq, bypassed barricades to reach the commission’s gates. The protesters centered their demands on the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, while also leveling sharp criticisms at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Rahul Gandhi amplified the call on social media, dismissing the CEC’s position with a direct challenge to step down.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge framed the protest as a defense of foundational democratic rights, accusing the administration of eroding protections for farmers, women, and young voters. Within the assembly of MPs, frustrations boiled over regarding the internal processes of the ECI. Renuka Chowdhury described the situation as a national disgrace, citing alleged compromises to democratic integrity, while Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa questioned the utility of the commission’s current structure if authority remains concentrated in a single individual. The standoff left INDIA bloc leaders occupying the pavement outside the office, maintaining their presence as a challenge to the institution's conduct.