INDIA Bloc Ramlila Maidan Rally: Rahul, Kharge Press for CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s Removal

Opposition leaders addressed a rally at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on Sunday, 1 November, after the INDIA bloc’s “Chalo Dilli” march from Minto Road, and repeated their demand that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar be removed and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls be stopped. Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said Kumar “will be removed” from his post, according to an ANI post carried by ThePrint at about 4:20 pm.

What Leaders Said From the Stage

Rahul Gandhi said Narendra Modi would not have become Prime Minister without Kumar, ThePrint reported. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the bloc would fight together to remove Modi, protect the Constitution and save the country, according to a Deccan Chronicle live blog at 3:50 pm. Shashi Tharoor said people had “lost faith” in the CEC, and Gaurav Gogoi called the gathering “historic”. Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said earlier in the day that “Gyanesh will be removed from his post”.

Rahul Gandhi also alleged that shops at Connaught Place were forcibly shut during the march, a claim reported by Deccan Chronicle that has not been independently verified. Delhi traders’ body CTI had warned of disruption in about 20 markets, an estimate the National Herald marked as unverified.

Also read Ramlila Maidan Rally: 4,000 Police Deployed, BJP Plans Hari Nagar March

Crowd Figures Still Disputed

The organisers had projected up to 10 lakh people. Delhi Police planned for about 50,000, and PTI put the ground’s capacity with chairs and enclosures at 30,000 to 40,000. None of the reports reviewed by IPB gave a headcount. Police deployed more than 4,000 personnel, and the venue was permitted from 10 am to 5 pm. Police said no formal application was made for the march from Minto Road.

A Rally Without a Resolution So Far

The march followed Saturday’s symbolic “public impeachment” of Kumar at Kharge’s residence, where a six-point resolution declared him unfit for office. IPB set out those charges in The Six Charges Against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, and covered the start of the march in this report. No new resolution from the Maidan had been reported by late afternoon, and the reports reviewed carried no response from the Election Commission.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said the agitation would continue until Kumar resigns. A BJP counter-march, “Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao”, was held in Rohtak, Haryana, the same day.

Source: Based on reporting by ThePrint, Deccan Chronicle, National Herald and PTI via Business Standard.

Image: INC / X (@INCIndia).