India news: Opposition parties march to Supreme Court

Intensifying their demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, opposition parties are holding a march to the Supreme Court. Follow DW for more.

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Rahul Gandhi with leaders of the opposition alliance INDIA bloc
Rahul Gandhi said that opposition parties will submit a memorandum to the CJI on behalf of the countryImage: Arun Sankar/AFP

Skip next section What you need to know

What you need to know

Opposition parties are set to hold a protest march to Supreme Court, thouhh CJI declined a meeting over voter theft

Jantar Mantar has been denotified as a designated protest site

CJP gives Delhi police ultimatum over fixing a date for protest

Here’s a round up of the latest developments from India on Monday, October 12:

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Skip next section Jantar Mantar delisted as designated protest site10/12/2026October 12, 2026

Jantar Mantar delisted as designated protest site

A member of Rapid Action Force (RAF) walks next to barricades at the Jantar Mantar protest site in New Delhi, India, October 1, 2026
Jantar Mantar has remained an iconic and significant protest site in the countryImage: Bhawika Chhabra/REUTERS

The Delhi Police on Monday announced that Jantar Mantar is no longer a “designated site” for protests. It has instead listed three alternative venues — the Ramlila Ground in Central Delhi, the Burari Ground in North Delhi, and the CBD Ground in East Delhi.

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has slammed the move, calling it “unacceptable.”

“The Jantar Mantar belongs to THE PEOPLE OF INDIA. Did the Ministry of Home Affairs consult with the people of India? Were any stakeholders consulted? Were any organisations consulted?” CJP leader Saurav Das said in a post on X. “We do not accept this arbitrary decision.”

Jantar Mantar has remained an iconic and significant protest site in the country, having witnessed several monumental demonstrations.

The move comes two days after protesters demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar were stopped from entering the protest site amid heavy deployment and barricading.

Since June this year, the site has remained a focal point for youth-led protests spearheaded by the CJP.

https://p.dw.com/p/5OA66Skip next section INDIA bloc to hold protest march demanding CEC’s resignation10/12/2026October 12, 2026

INDIA bloc to hold protest march demanding CEC’s resignation

Leader of the opposition and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi-led INDIA bloc is going to march to the Supreme Court today at 4 p.m. local time (10:30 UTC), intensifying their agitation against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Gandhi urged people to join his “march for democracy” and “march for justice” in a post on X, as he gave the “Chalo Dilli” (Let’s go to Delhi) call ahead of the INDIA bloc’s planned march to the Supreme Court.

The call for the protest march came a day after forceful, mass detentions of protesters, journalists and lawyers were reported in Delhi on Saturday.

The Cockroach Janta Party has also expressed support for the planned march.

The Congress Party had sought a meeting with the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant to raise the issue of alleged vote theft.
 
However, the CJI declined the meeting, reportedly citing the matter being sub judice in the Supreme Court.

https://p.dw.com/p/5O9krSkip next section Welcome to our coverage10/12/2026October 12, 2026

Welcome to our coverage

Hello! This is Midhat from the Delhi studio, bringing you all the important news emerging from India.

The capital continues to witness chaos as protesters demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation persist despite a clampdown by the Delhi Police on the demonstrations over the weekend.

The protests come after a recent report found that Kumar took unilateral decisions that resulted in mass voter deletions, allegedly in violation of law.

The opposition alliance INDIA bloc plans to march to the Supreme Court. It intends to submit a memorandum to the Chief Justice of India.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has announced that Jantar Mantar has been delisted as a designated protest site.

Here’s a quick recap of what happened in Delhi over the weekend:

On October 2, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) announced that it will protest at Jantar Mantar — the designated protest site in Delhi – on October 10, demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.

Ahead of the protests, security was beefed up in several parts of Delhi. According to local media reports, over 30,000 security personnel were deployed in Delhi. The internet was suspended within 4 kilometers (2.4 miles) of Jantar Mantar.

On Saturday, the Delhi Police blocked routes to Jantar Mantar to thwart the protests. Roads were lined with buses to detain protesters while parts of Delhi were locked down. 

Flash protests emerged in Connaught Place and Safdarjung, where protesters were detained in large numbers and dragged forcefully into buses. 

Besides protesters and the CJP leaders, several lawyers and journalists were also reportedly detained by the police. 

The police cited a ban on unauthorized public gatherings under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) for the mass detentions.

Stay tuned as we bring you more.

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