INDIA bloc plans mega protest in Delhi on Monday over SIR, Abhishek Banerjee to join

The INDIA bloc is preparing for a major protest in New Delhi on Monday, October 12, against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The planned demonstration comes amid a sweeping police crackdown on protesters and opposition leaders in the national capital.

Trinamool Congress chief and former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has decided to extend her stay in Delhi to participate in the INDIA bloc's protest, cancelling her scheduled return to Kolkata.

Banerjee was detained by Delhi Police on Saturday afternoon after staging a sit-in near the South Avenue bus stand. She had allegedly been prevented from proceeding towards Jantar Mantar, where the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) had called a demonstration demanding Kumar's resignation.

Banerjee was joined by several Trinamool Congress leaders, including Rajya Sabha MPs Derek O'Brien and Dola Sen. She criticised the restrictions imposed on protesters, with the party maintaining that the detentions were an attempt to suppress opposition voices.

Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who had returned to Kolkata, is also expected to travel to Delhi to participate in Monday's demonstration.

CJP leaders, Dhruv Rathee and Kejriwal detained

The police crackdown intensified on Saturday as authorities moved to prevent demonstrators from assembling at Jantar Mantar. CJP founder and convener Abhijeet Dipke and co-conveners Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were detained shortly after their flight landed at Delhi airport.

YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, who lives abroad and had travelled to India to participate in the demonstration against the chief election commissioner, was detained from his residence in Gurugram.

Aam Aadmi Party convenor and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was also detained after stepping out to protest against Kumar. Kejriwal had earlier posted a “Challo Dilli” message on X, urging people to join the demonstration.

The CJP had called the protest over alleged irregularities in the SIR process, arguing that the exercise threatened eligible voters' rights. The Election Commission has defended the revision as a voter-verification exercise.

Security restrictions disrupt Delhi

The planned demonstration prompted extensive security arrangements across the capital. Entry and exit gates at 45 metro stations were affected by restrictions, while mobile internet services were suspended in parts of central Delhi. Train services were also cancelled or disrupted, and additional paramilitary personnel were brought in to reinforce security.

Police erected barricades at key locations and detained protesters attempting to reach the designated venue. The restrictions triggered criticism from opposition parties, which accused the authorities of preventing peaceful political mobilisation.

The CJP, meanwhile, urged supporters to continue their agitation despite the detentions and restrictions, with national organisation in-charge Ajinkya Shinde calling on people to demonstrate wherever police stopped them.

BJP targets Rahul Gandhi over President remarks

Amid the escalating political confrontation, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sambit Patra criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks following a meeting between INDIA bloc leaders and President Droupadi Murmu on Friday.

Gandhi had said that Murmu did not reject the opposition's allegations of “vote chori” during the meeting. Patra accused him of attempting to draw the President into street protests and political confrontation.

“Yesterday a few politicians visited the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The statement of Rahul Gandhi after coming out of the Rashtrapati Bhavan was like that of a 'nalayak neta',” Patra said at a press conference on Saturday.

“Never before was an attempt made to drag the President into a street protest. But a 'nalayak neta' attempted to do that. The anarchist Rahul Gandhi tried to pull the President of India to the anarchism, which he is trying his best to conduct on the streets of India,” he added.

The BJP leader's remarks came as opposition parties prepared to escalate their campaign against the Election Commission over the electoral-roll revision. With Mamata Banerjee extending her stay in Delhi and Abhishek Banerjee expected to join the INDIA bloc's planned demonstration, Monday's protest is likely to intensify the political confrontation over the SIR exercise and the allegations of “vote chori”.