Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel alleged EVM tampering and voter list deletion as the party planned a major protest in Delhi. Rahul Gandhi is set to lead the demonstration, with another protest announced for October 12 against the CEC.
Congress Alleges EVM Tampering, Plans Major Protest
Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday alleged that the public mandate had been stolen through alleged EVM tampering and the deletion of names from voter lists, as he said party leaders from across the country were arriving in Delhi to participate in a major protest under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi. Speaking about the planned protest, Baghel said MPs, MLAs and district presidents from across the country were reaching the national capital to participate in the demonstration scheduled for Monday. “A major protest is set to take place in Delhi tomorrow under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi. MPs, MLAs, and district presidents from across the country are arriving in Delhi for this. The public mandate has been stolen; in some places, EVMs were tampered with, while in others, names were removed from the voter lists,” Baghel said.
‘Fight for Second Independence’: Baij Slams Police Action
Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh Congress president Deepak Baij said a meeting of senior party leaders would be held in Delhi on Monday, after which further instructions would be issued. Commenting on the ongoing protest at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, Baij alleged that demonstrators were facing police action despite holding a peaceful protest. “A meeting of senior leaders will be held tomorrow, and further instructions will be issued. Regarding the ongoing protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar—where the country’s Gen-Z generation and the general public are demonstrating to save democracy and demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar—it is a peaceful protest. PM Modi’s government has turned all of Delhi into a fortress to shield the Chief Election Commissioner from arrest. Brutal lathi-charges are taking place, people are being rounded up in buses and arrested en masse, and harsh action is being taken against women. No amount of condemnation is enough for this,” Baij said.
Drawing a parallel with India’s freedom struggle, the Chhattisgarh Congress chief described the ongoing movement as a fight for a “second independence”. “Just as our forefathers fought for independence before 1947, a battle for a ‘second independence’ for the country is being fought in 2026,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi Announces Further Protests, Slams ‘Mogambo’ Govt
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has announced that the INDIA bloc would take to the streets again on October 12, alleging that the Delhi Police and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers used violence against students and women during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. In a series of posts on X on Saturday, the Congress MP referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi using the name of “Mogambo”, the iconic antagonist played by Amrish Puri in the film Mr India, and alleged that the government was attempting to suppress the voices of the youth and students. “Amit Shah’s Delhi Police has not only resorted to thuggery itself but is also giving a free hand and encouragement to the real goons of the RSS-BJP to perpetrate violence against women and the youth,” he said.
Announcing the next round of protests, he said, “On Monday, October 12, the Congress, the entire INDIA alliance, and the youth of the country will once again take to the streets in large numbers. And this time, too, the voice will resonate across the nation—louder than ever before.”
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