Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka will meet Delhi Police on Monday to seek permission for a peaceful protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, while the Congress-led INDIA bloc is preparing to march to the Supreme Court over alleged electoral irregularities.
CJP leaders, including Das, Ranka and the party’s legal affairs head Ratna Singh, are scheduled to visit Parliament Street Police Station at 10 am to request a date for a demonstration at Jantar Mantar.
The move follows the detention of several CJP leaders and thousands of protesters during police action in Delhi over the weekend.
In a post on X, Ranka said the leaders would seek a date for the protest and warned that the party would announce another demonstration if the police failed to respond within 24 hours.
“Delhi Police can give us a date for Jantar Mantar in 24 hours, else the CJP will give another protest call,” he said.
The party has been demanding Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
INDIA Bloc to March to Supreme Court After CJI Declines Meeting
The Congress-led INDIA bloc is scheduled to march towards the Supreme Court at 1.30 pm on Monday after Chief Justice of India Surya Kant declined a request for a meeting with Opposition leaders.
The delegation, led by Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, plans to raise concerns about alleged electoral irregularities, seek an end to the SIR exercise and demand Kumar’s resignation.
Opposition leaders had sought a meeting with the CJI to discuss allegations of “vote chori” and police action against protesters demanding accountability from the Election Commission.
Speaking to reporters, CJI Surya Kant confirmed that he had received and responded to the request, citing reasons for his inability to meet the delegation. He said the contents of the correspondence should be disclosed by the Opposition leaders themselves.
“The doors of the Supreme Court are open to everyone. Anyone can file a petition, whether an ordinary citizen or a member of an elected body,” he said, adding that the court would hear grievances in accordance with the law.
The march is expected to include leaders from several INDIA bloc parties, including the Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, Left parties, Rashtriya Janata Dal and National Conference.
Six Delhi Metro Stations Face Restrictions
Security arrangements have been tightened across central Delhi ahead of the Opposition march.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said entry and exit gates at six stations, Janpath, Mandi House, Barakhamba Road, Central Secretariat, Rajiv Chowk and Patel Chowk, would remain closed until 4 pm on Monday. Interchange facilities at the stations would remain available.
Police have also placed barricades at several locations and deployed personnel across areas surrounding Jantar Mantar and the Supreme Court.
The restrictions follow two days of protests and detentions in the national capital. Reports said thousands of people were detained on Saturday as authorities prevented demonstrators from reaching Jantar Mantar. More protesters were detained during demonstrations on Sunday.
The police action has also drawn criticism from members of the legal fraternity. The Delhi High Court Bar Association announced that its members would wear black ribbons while appearing in court on Monday to protest what it described as the excessive and disproportionate use of force against lawyers during the October 10 demonstrations.
CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas has also alleged that police personnel manhandled him during Sunday’s protest. He sought an independent investigation into the incident.
Opposition Questions Election Commission Over SIR
The protests centre on the Election Commission’s SIR exercise, which the Opposition alleges could lead to the wrongful deletion of eligible voters from electoral rolls.
The controversy has intensified following reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised objections on several occasions over decisions and orders related to the poll panel, some of which were reportedly issued without their knowledge.
The Election Commission has maintained that decisions, including those concerning the SIR, were taken unanimously by the three-member panel.
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi has separately called for the repeal of the law governing the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners, questioning the legal immunity granted to them.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Dilip Ghosh criticised the Opposition’s planned march, accusing its leaders of attempting to intimidate institutions.
