What began as a strategy lunch hosted by Mallikarjun Kharge quickly turned into a street confrontation, with opposition leaders boarding buses for Jantar Mantar only to find roads heavily barricaded and security forces deployed in strength.
BY PC Bureau
October 7: Central Delhi descended into confrontation on Wednesday as INDIA bloc MPs led by Rahul Gandhi attempted to make their way to Jantar Mantar, only to encounter a massive police deployment and barricades blocking the roads. What had begun as a strategy lunch at a restaurant on Janpath quickly turned into a street mobilisation, with buses carrying opposition leaders halted amid heavy security and police forces deployed along the routes to the designated protest site.
The escalation came barely 24 hours after a prolonged standoff between the Opposition and Delhi Police that ended with Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several other leaders being detained following an eight-hour sit-in at Akashvani Bhawan. About 260 people, including 10 INDIA bloc MPs, were detained during Tuesday’s protest, according to police sources cited by The Times of India.
Wednesday’s confrontation began at Sagar Ratna on Janpath, where Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge hosted an INDIA bloc lunch to decide the next move in the campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The leaders subsequently boarded buses and set out for Jantar Mantar, the designated protest site.
LIVE: Protest Against Vote Chori | New Delhi https://t.co/uvtwjvQ5pH
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 7, 2026
READ: INDIA Bloc Leaders Gather for Lunch Under an Ominous Security Blanket
But the roads outside the restaurant had already been turned into a security zone. Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force personnel were deployed in strength, while barricades were placed along routes leading towards Jantar Mantar and the Election Commission. Security was particularly tight around Janpath Metro station, with police preparing for the possibility that the leaders could attempt to move towards restricted areas.
As the buses carrying the MPs moved out, the atmosphere grew tense. Television footage showed opposition leaders and supporters carrying placards reading “Vote Chori” and “Democracy Ki Chori”, while police personnel and riot-control forces stood along the barricaded roads. The buses were slowed and stopped as the security cordon tightened.
हर FIR मेरे सीने पर एक मेडल है।
अभी 45 हैं, मेरा लक्ष्य 100 है – तब भी संविधान की रक्षा के लिए लड़ते रहेंगे। https://t.co/ZxwHkKHtkm
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 7, 2026
Rahul Gandhi said the Opposition had decided to shift the protest to Jantar Mantar after being prevented from meeting the Election Commission on Tuesday. He claimed that around 300 MPs had sought a meeting with the poll panel but were not allowed to do so.
Emerging from the lunch, Gandhi again demanded Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and said the Opposition would continue its campaign against alleged “vote chori”. He also brushed aside the FIRs filed after Tuesday’s confrontation, saying he already had about 45 and wanted 100, calling each FIR a “medal”.
The events followed an extraordinary day in central Delhi on Tuesday. Opposition MPs had marched from Parliament towards the Election Commission but were stopped by barricades. Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other leaders subsequently entered the Akashvani Bhawan area and remained there for hours before being taken into custody. Police later registered cases against several leaders and protesters.
The security operation on Wednesday reflected the authorities’ determination to prevent another attempt to move beyond the permitted protest zone. Roads leading towards Jantar Mantar were heavily barricaded, while RAF and other security personnel remained stationed in the area. Reports said police had been preparing for a possible flash protest even as the Opposition leaders were still at the lunch venue.
The confrontation also unfolded against the backdrop of protests that have spread across central Delhi in recent days. Indian Express reported that multiple groups, including political parties, student organisations and activists, had attempted to move towards restricted areas, forcing police to deploy paramilitary personnel and police units from several New Delhi stations. More than nine FIRs had already been registered in connection with the wider protests.
The Opposition says it has a right to protest at Jantar Mantar and has vowed to continue pressing its allegations over the electoral-roll revision and demanding action against the CEC. The Election Commission and the BJP have rejected the Opposition’s allegations.
For the second consecutive day, however, the political battle over the electoral rolls moved beyond Parliament and into the streets of the capital — with barricades, riot-control forces, detained protesters and a steadily tightening security cordon becoming the backdrop to an increasingly bitter confrontation.
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