INDIA Bloc Protest LIVE: Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka stage protest outside Akashvani Building; Akhilesh, Abhishek Banerjee detained as Opposition steps up poll panel campaign
Police detain several protesters near Ashoka Road during the INDIA bloc’s protest against the ECI
#WATCH | Delhi | On INDIA Bloc MP's protest march, Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh says, "Our first demand is that Gyanesh Kumar immediately resign from the CEC post. If he is not ready to resign, the Government of India should immediately dismiss him and arrest him, because yesterday the Supreme Court very clearly said that all of the SIR is bogus... The Election Commission has partially done the SIR for the BJP and RSS..."
— ANI (@ANI) October 6, 2026
#WATCH | Delhi | On INDIA Bloc's protest march, Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge says, "The movement we are leading—and the issue Rahul Gandhi ji has emphasized—is tied to the rights of the country's youth, women, farmers, and the poor... The very freedom our people won through struggle, imprisonment, and even by facing the gallows is now being actively taken away. To cling to power, they (BJP) are stripping people of their rights by every possible means... They tried to come to power by misleading our people. And considering the improper manner in which they assumed office and seized power, I say this: they must step down immediately, or else there will be an uproar across the country. The people of this nation will not remain silent—this is my warning to them..."
He also says, "Anything illegal ought to be dissolved. When nine state assemblies across the country can be dissolved, why shouldn't the illegal setup here be dissolved as well?..."
— ANI (@ANI) October 6, 2026
Rahul, Priyanka stage protest outside Akashvani Building; Akhilesh, Abhishek Banerjee detained
#WATCH | Delhi | On INDIA bloc MPs' protest march to the Election Commission, Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan says, "Ganesh ji doesn't help in wrong things. We begin prayers with offering prayers to Ganesh; He will protect us." https://t.co/l1VWoeuOgW
— ANI (@ANI) October 6, 2026
#WATCH | Delhi | "Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod' echoes through INDIA bloc's protest march to the Election Commission of India https://t.co/Kf9yvjoEzZ
— ANI (@ANI) October 6, 2026
The Opposition alliance has put forward five key demands concerning the functioning of the Election Commission and the electoral process, calling for greater transparency and accountability.
Demand for CEC’s resignation
The Opposition has called for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to step down. It has also sought cooperation in an inquiry into the alleged interference with electoral rolls.
Greater transparency in voter lists
The Opposition wants complete details of additions, deletions and corrections in electoral rolls to be made public at the booth and Assembly constituency levels. It has also demanded that voters should receive prior notice and an opportunity to appeal before their names are removed.
Concerns over SIR and deletion of voter names
The Opposition has raised concerns that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) could result in a large number of voters being excluded from electoral rolls. It has demanded that the voter lists existing before the SIR exercise be used for future elections.
Return to ballot papers
The alliance has called for replacing Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) with ballot papers for elections. It has also sought a simpler registration process for first-time voters.
Call for Opposition unity
The Opposition parties have been urged to remain united on issues concerning transparency in the electoral process and institutional accountability. The alliance has maintained that the ultimate authority in a democracy should rest with the people.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said if Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar is impartial, he should listen to the Opposition’s concerns.
Calling the protest an effort to protect democracy, Yadav also criticised the police response, saying protesters and children should not be treated in such a manner.
#WATCH | Delhi | Amid INDIA bloc MPs protest, LoP, Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra reach the gates of the Akashvani Bhavan, in an attempt to reach the office of the Election Commission of India https://t.co/972jzzgA8E
— ANI (@ANI) October 6, 2026
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Trinamool Congress leaders Derek O’Brien and Abhishek Banerjee, along with several other Opposition leaders, were detained after the police halted the INDIA bloc’s protest march on Parliament Street.
The leaders had been taking part in a sit-in demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. They were subsequently taken away from the protest site in a police bus.
#WATCH | Delhi | Amid INDIA bloc MPs protest, LoP, Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi reaches the gates of the Akashvani Bhavan, in an attempt to reach the office of the Election Commission of India https://t.co/TcIYsvMi0T
— ANI (@ANI) October 6, 2026
INDIA Bloc Protest LIVE Updates: Opposition leaders led by Rahul Gandhi marched towards the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters in New Delhi on Tuesday, October 6, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and action over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The march began from Parliament’s Makar Dwar at around 10:30 am, with Opposition MPs carrying a “Save Democracy” banner. The protesters were stopped by Delhi Police barricades around 150-200 metre from the ECI office, near the NITI Aayog/Akashvani Bhawan area.
Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, NCP-SP leader Supriya Sule and other INDIA bloc leaders joined the protest.
During the sit-in, Rahul Gandhi directly targeted CEC Gyanesh Kumar, saying, “Gyanesh, it’s done, bro. Time to resign.”
Key developments so far
Stay with us for LIVE updates from the INDIA bloc protest in Delhi
- PTC NEWS
