Delhi Police Files FIRs as Opposition Challenges Election Commission

Barricades were breached and streets defaced in central Delhi on Monday as INDIA bloc leaders marched toward the Supreme Court to challenge the Election Commission’s electoral roll revision process. The demonstration, led by Rahul Gandhi, triggered immediate police action with FIRs filed at Barakhamba Road and Tilak Marg stations.

Editorial·October 13, 2026·reads: 313

Delhi Police Files FIRs as Opposition Challenges Election Commission

The legal challenge filed by 11 high-profile opposition leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Akhilesh Yadav, and Tejashwi Yadav, hit a procedural hurdle almost immediately. The Supreme Court Registry flagged 14 defects in the petition, specifically questioning why individual Election Commissioners—Gyanesh Kumar, SS Sandhu, and Vivek Joshi—were named as private respondents in a case brought under Article 32 of the Constitution.

Despite the legal friction, the political momentum behind the protest remains high. Rahul Gandhi, who hosted opposition MPs for a strategy session on Tuesday, declared the movement a unified stand against what he termed the dismantling of democratic norms. The petitioners are demanding a formal judicial review of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging the poll panel operated with significant irregularities. Police cited the physical disruption of public order, including graffiti and broken barricades, as the basis for the criminal complaints against the protesters.