‘Don’t worry about lathis’: Rahul Gandhi urges people to join November 1 ‘Chalo Dilli’ march

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday urged students and people across political affiliations to join the November 1 ‘Chalo Dilli Ramlila March’, describing it as a movement to protect democracy, the Constitution and the country’s electoral process. He also told participants not to fear police action, asserting that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would not have the courage to resort to its alleged tactics.

In a video shared on X, Gandhi said the march against alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was not intended for any particular political party but was about protecting the “soul” of India.

“The 'Chalo Delhi' Ramlila March is a march to save democracy, to put an end to the theft of votes, and to protect the Constitution,” he said.

Calling on those dissatisfied with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to participate, Gandhi said the protest was meant for everyone seeking to defend democracy.

“All the people who are fed up with Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and Gyanesh Kumar, all the people who want to save democracy, who want to protect the Constitution, you all come,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi appeals to students to join protest

Gandhi urged student organisations to participate irrespective of their political affiliations, saying the protest was also about safeguarding freedom of expression, ideas and thought.

“There is only one protest, and it is for the country,” he said, inviting people to march together to protect the Constitution and the Indian nation.

He also sought to reassure participants about possible police action, saying there was no need to worry about batons or other tactics allegedly used against protesters.

“I urge all student groups, regardless of your political affiliation, if you feel that India is under attack, if you feel you are under attack, your expression, your ideas, your way of thinking is under attack, come and join us,” Gandhi wrote.

He described the gathering as a march for the soul of the country and said he looked forward to seeing participants at Ramlila Maidan. There was no immediate response from the BJP or the police to his latest remarks.

Delhi Police prepares for large turnout

The Congress-led rally comes amid heightened security preparations in the national capital over the opposition's campaign against alleged irregularities in the electoral roll revision and its demand for Gyanesh Kumar's removal.

Delhi Police has granted a no-objection certificate for the November 1 gathering at Ramlila Maidan, with the permission covering the period from October 25 to November 3, subject to conditions and approval from the land-owning authority. The rally is scheduled to run from 10 am to 5 pm.

Police plans call for the deployment of around 2,500 to 3,000 Delhi Police personnel, alongside additional paramilitary forces. The venue and surrounding areas will be divided into security zones, with officers assigned to manage crowd movement, entry and exit points, traffic and potential law-and-order situations.

The police intelligence unit has estimated that between 40,000 and 50,000 people could attend, including participants travelling from Delhi and other states. Ramlila Maidan covers nearly 12 acres and can accommodate around 50,000 people. It has eight entry and exit gates, with a separate gate designated for the movement of Rahul Gandhi and other senior Opposition leaders. Another gate will be used by other VIPs and senior police and central agency officials.

Security arrangements include surveillance cameras, a temporary police control room to monitor live footage and body-worn cameras for personnel. Earlier plans referred to nearly 150 high-definition and artificial intelligence-enabled cameras, while subsequent reports put the planned CCTV deployment at around 450 cameras. Police personnel will use body cameras to record activities and help establish the sequence of events if allegations of mishandling, harassment or excessive force arise.

Parking will be arranged around Rajghat and Mata Sundari College, from where protesters will be required to walk to the venue. Participants will not be permitted to march towards other destinations, including restricted areas of New Delhi. The organisers have also been directed to ensure that the gathering remains peaceful and concludes by 5 pm, followed by an orderly dispersal.

Jantar Mantar removed as designated protest site

The security arrangements follow the Delhi Police's decision to de-notify Jantar Mantar as a designated protest venue and identify three alternative locations for demonstrations: Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground in north Delhi and CBD Ground in Shahdara.

The change came after a series of demonstrations in the capital over electoral roll revision and other issues. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets earlier this month to demand Gyanesh Kumar's removal and the scrapping of the SIR exercise. Authorities responded to those protests with metro station closures, internet shutdowns, prohibitory orders and the deployment of around 40,000 security personnel.

The city had also witnessed student demonstrations over examination irregularities in July, which led to allegations of police excesses during a march towards Parliament. The protests preceded the resignation of then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The November 1 gathering is part of the INDIA bloc's wider campaign against alleged vote theft and irregularities in the electoral roll revision. Opposition parties have accused the Election Commission of mishandling the process and have demanded accountability from the Chief Election Commissioner.

The Congress has maintained that the march is intended to bring together people from different political backgrounds around its demand to protect democratic institutions and the right to vote.