INDIA Bloc Rally at Ramlila Maidan on 1 Nov: Route, Timings, Curbs

Updated 11:50 AM IST, 1 November: Delhi Police said they would facilitate the noon march from Minto Road to Ramlila Maidan even though no application had been filed for it, and were coordinating the route with organisers, according to National Herald’s live blog. Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan confirmed he would join the rally. Security has been tightened at the Chilla border, and the BJP has said it will hold its own programme in Rohtak, Haryana, the same report said. Rahul Gandhi appealed to students, farmers and workers to join and not be deterred by possible police action. The Cockroach Janta Party’s Abhijeet Dipke has said the group backs the cause but will not take part in the rally. Leaders’ speeches had not begun at the time of writing.

Updated 10:50 AM IST, 1 November: Crowds were building at Ramlila Maidan and outside Delhi stations before the noon march, with Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Vinay Kumar reaching the ground with a group of supporters, according to India TV’s live blog. Parts of the ground were waterlogged and were being covered with dry soil, the same report said. Asianet News, citing ANI, reported that Section 163 of the BNSS has been imposed in sensitive areas, and that the demands include removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision, restoration of names the opposition says were deleted, and a change in the law on appointing Election Commissioners. CPI(M) Delhi state secretary Sanjay Chauhan told ANI the movement would continue “until Gyanesh Kumar is removed”. Turnout claims differ: organisers say up to 10 lakh, Delhi Police expect about 50,000. No Election Commission response had been reported by 10:45 AM. IPB will report the speeches after leaders reach the stage.

Updated 9:50 AM IST, 1 November: Around 10,000 police and paramilitary personnel will be deployed along the route and at the venue, and senior Delhi Police officers estimate about 50,000 attendees, Outlook reported. Rahul Gandhi urged people attending to shop at local markets during the festival season, after accusing the BJP of spreading rumours about the rally’s effect on traders. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has objected to the 1 November date because of the anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots; the BJP is holding its own march from Hari Nagar Bus Depot to Tilak Nagar Metro Station at 11:30 am, according to ANI. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has demanded the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the scrapping of the 2023 law that gives the CEC legal protection, PTI reported.

Also read Ramlila Maidan Rally: What Kharge, Tejashwi, Akhilesh and Left Leaders Said

Updated 7:15 AM IST, 1 November: Delhi Police have said they granted permission for the Ramlila Maidan rally from 10 am to 5 pm, with no overnight stay, but that “no permission has been sought or granted” for the proposed march from the Minto Road junction near Connaught Place, according to Free Press Journal. Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi posted on X on Saturday, “See you tomorrow, let’s walk together,” and accused the Home Minister of trying to stop people from other states reaching Delhi, an allegation IPB has not verified. The Tribune reports that leaders of 21 INDIA bloc parties are expected and will travel in open buses from Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence to Minto Road before walking via Ajmeri Gate to the ground.

The INDIA bloc will hold a rally at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on Sunday, 1 November, to press for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. A march is planned at noon from the Minto Road–Connaught Place junction to the ground, according to PTI reporting carried by ThePrint, and Delhi Police have announced traffic curbs from 10 am to 5 pm.

Roads to Avoid on Sunday

Delhi Traffic Police have said diversions may be put in place at Netaji Subhash Marg T-point, Rajghat, Delhi Gate, ITO A-point, Ajmeri Gate red light, Ranjeet Singh flyover, Jhandewalan roundabout, Turkman Gate and Mirdard Chowk, depending on the crowd. Congestion is expected on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg between ITO and Delhi Gate, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, Aruna Asaf Ali Road, Minto Road, Desh Bandhu Gupta Road and Barakhamba Road. Bus movement may be regulated on several of these stretches. A separate passage has been kept open for emergency vehicles near LNJP Hospital, and parking is available opposite the hospital, at DMRC lots and at Rajghat. Passengers heading for New Delhi Railway Station have been advised to leave early.

What the Opposition Wants

Congress general secretary K C Venugopal has said the party expects at least a million people and called the issue “vote chori” orchestrated, in his words, by “Gyanesh & Co.” at the behest of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister. He said people from across the country would send a message that “we are united in protecting our democracy”. These are Venugopal’s claims; IPB has not independently verified them.

Delhi Police sources told Republic on 27 October that permission for the ground, booked from 25 October to 3 November, had not been withdrawn. Ramlila Maidan is one of three designated protest sites in Delhi, along with Burari Ground and CBD Ground.

From the Supreme Court March to the Mock Parliament

The rally follows a “March for Democracy” that reached the Supreme Court on 12 October, when opposition leaders filed a joint petition against the SIR, and a mock Parliament on 31 October that set out six charges against the CEC. IPB has set those out in The Six Charges Against CEC Gyanesh Kumar. The court’s latest direction on voter-roll deletions is in our report on UP Form 7 complaints.

The organisers have not announced a full speaker list. IPB will report the speeches, the turnout and any resolution on Sunday. More opposition coverage is in Daily Updates.

Source: Based on reporting by National Herald, ThePrint (PTI), The Federal (PTI), Free Press Journal, The Tribune and Republic.

Image: IPB (Mallikarjun Kharge at the INDIA bloc’s 31 October public impeachment of the CEC).