Delhi Protest Highlights: 'Dragging President into controversy,' Govt sources refute Rahul's claim after meet over CEC

Gyanesh Kumar row LIVE: Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has stated that the heavy security deployment in Delhi shows that the government is "panicked and nervous" as the anti-CEC stirs continue in the national capital.

Taking to X, Ramesh shared a report which claimed around 7,000 CRPF personnel from Chhattisgarh and Bengal have been deployed in Delhi ahead of October 10 protest by the Cockroach Janta Party.

"Clearly shows the level of panic and nervousness coming as it does after four days of unrelenting protests by the INDIA janbandhan," he wrote on the social media platform.

Gyanesh Kumar row LIVE: Delhi Police officials are visiting hotels, guest houses and other accommodation facilities across the Capital and questioning occupants deemed “suspicious” about the purpose of their visit ahead of Saturday’s protest call by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), at least four officials aware of the action said on Thursday.

At least one guest and two hotel staff who spoke to HT confirmed that police officers had visited and questioned them about the nature and duration of their stay in Delhi. Read the full report here

Gyanesh Kumar row LIVE: Delhi Police has put in place a two-tier barricading system at the Capital’s border points, using conventional barricades and jersey barriers in multiple layers, as security agencies step up measures to prevent protesters from entering the city ahead of Saturday’s protest call by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), officials aware of the arrangements said on Friday.

The heightened security at Chilla, Ghazipur, Apsara, and Singhu border, comes after the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) extended its support to the protest. Police have strengthened deployment at entry points to Delhi, a senior police officer said. "Paramilitary personnel and local police have already been deployed at the borders, while Uttar Pradesh Police have also stationed personnel at key junctions on their side of the border to prevent protesters from entering the Capital", the officer said.

(From HT's Hemani Bhandari)

Gyanesh Kumar row LIVE: Delhi Police has warned Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and its supporters against their planned protest on October 10, stating that Section 163 is in force in the national capital and any gathering would be considered illegal.

“Section 163 is in effect, meaning protests are not permitted—neither at Jantar Mantar nor anywhere else. Any gathering will be considered illegal, and we would be compelled to take necessary legal action against it,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Shrishti Pandey.

The DCP urged people not to participate in the proposed protest, asking them to prioritise their safety and that of their families.

Gyanesh Kumar row LIVE: On the third day of their stir on Thursday, nearly 200 Opposition lawmakers held a sit-in protest at Rajghat, highlighting what they described as the “hijacking” of the country by Kumar allegedly at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

As the protest continues, the Opposition now plans to march to Rashtrapati Bhavan and meet President Droupadi Murmu on Friday to press for chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, setting the stage for an escalation in an agitation marked by INDIA bloc MPs taking to the streets of Delhi, clashing with police and sparring with the government.

Gyanesh Kumar row LIVE: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought to capture power through "divisive tactics" and said the BJP should either "sack" CEC Gyanesh Kumar or be "consigned to the dustbin" of political history.

Reddy, who is in Delhi to participate in the protests by Congress and other INDIA bloc parties against SIR, claimed that BJP wanted to take away the voting rights of the poor who have turned against it.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always wanted to capture power using divisive tactics taken from the imperialist British playbook," he said in a statement.

Gyanesh Kumar row LIVE: CPI(M) leader Falma Chauhan said the SIR process had become a “major national issue”, even as the party protested in Shimla in Himachal Pradesh.

“... Left parties had called for protests from 26 September to 2 October, followed by a nationwide protest call from the INDIA bloc...” Chauhan told ANI news agency. She added, “…Around 13 crore voters' names removed from electoral rolls since 24 June 2025. In West Bengal, it is alleged that 63% of women’s names were deleted…”

Gyanesh Kumar row LIVE: Security has been tightened around the headquarters of the Election Commission of India in Delhi amid continued protests by the Opposition INDIA bloc against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the SIR exercise.

Gyanesh Kumar row LIVE: Senior Congress leader and former union minister P Chidambaram cited what he said were figures related to appeals against electoral roll deletions in West Bengal under SIR, claiming 91-93 per cent of the appeals disposed of by tribunals were allowed.

“Unfortunately, few who debate the rights and wrongs of the SIR exercise make their arguments based on facts,” he said in a post on X. He said, “In West Bengal, nearly 27 lakhs were removed from the electoral rolls under S.I.R. Of these, 22,21,196 filed appeals to Tribunals A little over 1 lakh appeals were disposed of by the Tribunals. (The number is reported to be 1,26,000 appeals).”

He added, “91-93% of the appeals were ALLOWED and the names were directed to be re-included in the electoral rolls That is the damning evidence against the S.I.R. exercise.”

Gyanesh Kumar row LIVE: In a post on X, Congress MP and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi said the “process” of “protecting India's Constitution, democracy, and its voice…has already begun."

“The Process of delivering justice to the people of Hindustan. The Process of restoring faith in democracy. The Process of ensuring punishment for the traitors. And now, this is not going to stop,” Rahul added.

Gyanesh Kumar row LIVE: Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee arrived in Delhi on Thursday evening to join the INDIA bloc march to Rashtrapati Bhawan.

A request for an appointment with the President has been made,” she said before leaving for Delhi. Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien said the Opposition was united in its agitation. “...After two days of protest on the streets, we decided to have a peaceful dharna at Raj Ghat (on Thursday)... More parties will join tomorrow (Friday). We will go to Rashtrapati Bhavan,” he said.

Gyanesh Kumar row LIVE: The Rashtrapati Bhavan is yet to finalise the Opposition’s appointment with the President, who has been in Himachal Pradesh for three days now, people aware of the matter told HT.

This comes after Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal said on Thursday that the first letter was sent on October 2, and a request was submitted again on October 5, along with names. “So far, we have received no response. We will wait until Friday,” Venugopal said, according to PTI news agency.

Gyanesh Kumar row LIVE: While members of the Opposition have been criticising the SIR since its beginning, the renewed protests come after an Indian Express investigation.

The report said election commissioners SS Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected least 14 times between November 2025 and August 2026 over the panel’s decisions on SIR and even written to the cabinet secretary. It also alleged that election officials found their access to the ECI software curtailed by the central IT team. In response, ECI said differing views and observations were a normal part of deliberation and that all its digital platforms operated under strict data security protocols.

Gyanesh Kumar row LIVE: Nearly 200 Opposition lawmakers participated in the sit-in protest on Thursday. This included Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

The Samajwadi Party (SP), the second-largest constituent of the bloc, which was not part of Wednesday’s protest, also joined the sit-in at Rajghat.

Gyanesh Kumar row LIVE: On the third day of their stir on Thursday, nearly 200 Opposition lawmakers held a sit-in protest at Rajghat, highlighting what they described as the “hijacking” of the country by Kumar allegedly at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Opposition MPs met for an all-vegetarian lunch at Moets in the Outer Circle of Connaught Place and from there, boarded three buses at around 3:30pm to head to the Mahatma Gandhi memorial.

Gyanesh Kumar row LIVE: The Opposition plans to march to Rashtrapati Bhavan and meet President Droupadi Murmu on Friday to press for chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.

According to people aware of the matter, INDIA bloc lawmakers plan to march from Parliament to Rashtrapati Bhavan to meet the President over “mass disenfranchisement” through the SIR.