New Delhi: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has invited INDIA bloc leaders, Opposition MPs, student organisations and civil society representatives for a high tea at his residence in New Delhi on Tuesday, October 13, as the Opposition steps up its campaign against alleged irregularities in the electoral process and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls.
Announcing the meeting in a post on X, Rahul Gandhi said the gathering was part of a broader movement to protect democracy and signalled that the protests would continue.
“Today I have invited the leaders of the INDIA alliance, opposition MPs, student organizations, and to my home for tea. In this people’s movement to protect democracy, we are all together – and this movement will continue relentlessly. After tea, we will all come together and present our case in front of the media. All protests are one,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wrote on X.
According to the invitation, all Opposition members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been asked to attend the meeting at 4 pm at 5, Sunehri Bagh Road. A joint press conference of INDIA bloc leaders is also scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, where they are expected to present their collective position on the ongoing agitation.
The meeting comes a day after Opposition leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Saugata Roy, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Supriya Sule, Sanjay Raut and Mahua Majhi, marched towards the Supreme Court to submit a petition over alleged irregularities in the election process.
The leaders gathered at the Constitution Club before proceeding in buses towards the Barakhamba Road junction. From there, they continued on foot towards the top court, with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra leading the procession alongside AISA chief Neha Bora.
The march was stopped at Bhagwan Dass Road, where several leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Tejashwi Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav, climbed onto a vehicle as the procession moved past barricades amid slogans against the Centre and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The Opposition has been demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s removal over alleged electoral roll irregularities. Last week, Opposition MPs attempted to march from Parliament to the Election Commission but were stopped along the way. Rahul Gandhi subsequently staged an eight-hour sit-in inside the Akashvani Bhawan complex before being removed.
Opposition leaders have since held meetings and staged demonstrations at Jantar Mantar and Rajghat. Over the weekend, thousands of protesters, including Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders and former chief ministers, were detained amid heightened security in the national capital.
Tuesday’s high tea meeting is expected to provide another opportunity for Opposition parties, student groups and civil society representatives to coordinate their response and underline their demand for electoral reforms.