NEW DELHI: India’s opposition Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday called on students, farmers, workers, women, young people and traders to join a rally in New Delhi on November 1, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of benefiting from manipulation of electoral rolls.
The proposed “Save the Vote, Save the Country” march and rally will be held at Ramlila Maidan, Gandhi said in a post on social media platform X, as protests grow over the Election Commission’s revision of voter lists.
“Names have been removed from the voter lists. Rules and laws have been broken,” Gandhi wrote, alleging that votes were being “stolen” by Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
हमारा वोट चुराया जा रहा है और ये हम किसी हाल में चुपचाप नहीं सहेंगे। मतदाता सूचियों से नाम काटे गए। नियम-कानून तोड़े गए। और सवाल पूछने वालों पर लाठियां चलीं। अब जवाब देश देगा। 1 नवंबर – चलो दिल्ली। वोट बचाओ – देश बचाओ जन मार्च और महारैली। छात्र, किसान, मज़दूर, महिलाएं, नौजवान और व्यापारी – जिस-जिस को लोकतंत्र की फ़िक्र है, वो ज़रूर आए। वोट आपका है। लड़ाई भी आपकी है। 📍 रामलीला मैदान, नई दिल्ली PS: BJP और उसके साथियों का दिल से धन्यवाद, जो इस कार्यक्रम का इतना ज़ोर-शोर से प्रचार कर रहे हैं और इसे ज़्यादा से ज़्यादा लोगों तक पहुंचा रहे हैं। बस अगले 7 दिन भी यही जोश और लगन बनाए रखिए! #ChaloDilli #RamlilaMarch
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 25, 2026
He added that people would “not tolerate this quietly” any longer.
The planned rally comes amid opposition allegations that the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls could disenfranchise eligible voters and benefit the BJP.
Protests Spread over Voter Deletions
The SIR process, a house-to-house exercise launched in June 2025, was intended to remove deceased, duplicate and ineligible entries from electoral rolls.
According to the Election Commission, about 130 million names have been removed from draft voter lists. The commission has said people who believe they have been wrongly excluded can appeal.
Opposition parties, however, allege that the deletions could deprive millions of eligible citizens of their voting rights. The Election Commission and the BJP have denied allegations that the exercise is designed to favour the ruling party.
Protests against the revision have spread across the country, drawing participation from farmers, students, trade unions, opposition parties and civil society groups.
On Friday, farmers and other protesters marched towards the Election Commission headquarters in New Delhi, demanding the restoration of voting rights for people they said had been wrongly excluded. Similar demonstrations were reported at more than 500 district headquarters and state capitals.
Farmers in India joined nationwide protests on October 23, as students, opposition parties and civil society groups demanded the removal of the country’s chief election commissioner, with several people detained by police across the country.
https://t.co/IkqmbgkfNB https://t.co/eSaGnHl6qd— CCTV+ (@CCTV_Plus) October 25, 2026
Vijoo Krishnan, a farmer leader, said the Samyukta Kisan Morcha had called for nationwide demonstrations against the denial of voting rights to 130 million people, many of them in rural areas.
Academic Jayati Ghosh said the growing demonstrations reflected concerns about the future of Indian democracy.
Students and youth organisations have also organised protests and sit-ins, with demonstrators demanding electoral reforms and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Police Detain Protesters in Delhi
The protests have prompted a major security response in the capital, where police detained hundreds of demonstrators on Saturday as authorities sought to prevent a youth-led rally against Kumar.
The demonstration, organised by the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), was planned for Jantar Mantar.
Delhi Police had denied permission for the gathering, citing security concerns and alleged violations during earlier demonstrations.
Police said around 500 people who had arrived in separate groups were detained, while nearly 50 others with criminal records were apprehended as a preventive measure. A separate police account reported about 200 additional detentions in the Connaught Place area.
Those detained included CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, other group leaders and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, according to reports.
Detentions took place at several locations, including Connaught Place, Dhaula Kuan and areas around Jantar Mantar. Television footage showed police chasing demonstrators in central New Delhi before taking them away in vehicles.
Authorities deployed large numbers of security personnel and set up barricades. Police also conducted vehicle inspections, used drones for surveillance and established temporary detention facilities to prevent protesters from reaching the planned demonstration site.
Election Chief Faces Calls to Resign
Gandhi’s rally announcement comes after repeated demands from opposition parties and civil society groups for Kumar to resign over alleged misconduct in the handling of electoral rolls.
Protesters have argued that the revision threatens voting rights and called for the restoration of names they say were wrongly deleted.
Student leader Sharanya said demonstrators would defend constitutional rights regardless of a person’s community, caste, class or gender.
The Election Commission maintains that the revision is intended to ensure accurate electoral rolls and that excluded voters can challenge their removal.
