INDIA bloc stages mega rally in Delhi; Amit Shah shifts focus to anti-Sikh riots

Concerns over voting rights, minority representation, education and LGBTQ+ inclusion drew young people from different parts of the country to the INDIA bloc’s rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on Sunday, with many participants describing the protest as a response to experiences that had affected them or their families directly.

The demonstration saw students, first-time protesters and activists travel to the capital from states including Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Kerala.

Siyona, 21, and Shaivi, 22, from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh said disagreements over voting rights and minority concerns had strained friendships, as many young people around them remained indifferent to politics. “We have lost friends over this,” Shaivi said, arguing that decisions taken by governments directly impact people's lives and cannot be ignored.

Akib, 18, and Azaan Ahmed, 21, who had travelled from Malda in West Bengal with friends for a sightseeing trip, decided to join the protest after learning about it. They said some of their family members had found their names missing from electoral rolls, making the issue personal.

Students from Kerala, including members of the Muslim Students Federation and the Indian Union Muslim League, highlighted concerns over educational opportunities and quality, linking them to broader questions of social fairness.

The protest also became a platform for symbolic forms of participation. One young man arrived dressed as a cockroach, claiming that his and his relatives’ names had been removed from voter lists. A transgender participant said they attended to ensure that queer and transgender voices were represented in conversations about democracy and equal rights.

Amit Shah on Sunday sought to recast the Opposition INDIA bloc’s ‘Chalo Dilli’ protest as an event “insensitive” to the memory of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, launching a blistering attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and accusing the alliance of holding a political rally on a day associated with one of the darkest chapters in India’s history.

Addressing a gathering in Chandigarh after inaugurating and laying the foundation stone for development projects worth Rs 258 crore, the Union Home Minister repeatedly linked the INDIA bloc’s mobilisation in Delhi to the anniversary of the anti-Sikh violence that followed the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1984.

As the Opposition alliance held its protest at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan as part of its campaign against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, Shah shifted the focus away from their allegations, arguing that the timing of the protest had hurt Sikh sentiments. Referring to the event as a “jalsa”, he said Congress had chosen to hold a major political gathering on a day marking the anniversary of the anti-Sikh riots, which he described as a “genocide”.

“Today, his son Rahul Gandhi organised a big jalsa in Delhi to rub salt into the wounds of the victims of the 1984 riots and their families,” Shah said, invoking remarks made by former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in the aftermath of the violence.

The Home Minister claimed the BJP had urged the INDIA bloc to defer its rally, arguing that holding it around the anniversary of the riots was insensitive to victims and their families. He alleged that the Opposition ignored appeals from both Sikh groups and Delhi traders, who had sought postponement of the programme during the crucial Diwali business period.

Shah also used the occasion to attack Rahul Gandhi politically, mocking the Opposition’s symbolic “mock parliament” and asserting that Congress would continue to face electoral setbacks. “I want to tell Rahul ji, if you want to become the prime minister, stay in the mock parliament your entire life. Your turn (as PM of India) is never going to come,” he said.

BJP president Nitin Nabin on Sunday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the INDIA bloc of attempting to undermine democratic institutions after failing to secure public support, as the ruling party stepped up its counter-campaign against the Opposition's allegations of electoral irregularities.

Addressing the BJP's 'Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao' padyatra in Rohtak, Haryana, Nabin said the Congress was targeting constitutional institutions out of frustration over repeated electoral defeats.

“When they win in Karnataka or Himachal Pradesh, they say democracy has won. But when they lose in Haryana, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, they say democracy is in danger,” he claimed.

Claiming that the Opposition wanted democracy to function according to the wishes of the Gandhi family, he added, "They want to run democracy according to the Gandhi family's law, but democracy will run in accordance with the country's Constitution."

The BJP leader also accused Rahul Gandhi of challenging democratic institutions, alleging that he was "acting at the behest of foreign powers" to create instability in the country.

Targeting the Congress on the anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Nabin said the party should have apologised for the violence instead of staging protests. "The Congress party should have sought atonement and offered an apology," he said.

Reiterating confidence in the BJP's future prospects, Nabin declared that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would continue to lead the country beyond the next general election. “Modi ji kahi nahi jayenge. 2029 mein phir se Lal Quila ki prachir se nazar aayenge (Modi won’t go anywhere. In 2029, he will again be seen on the Red Fort ramparts),” he said.

Senior BJP leaders, including Smriti Irani and Jayant Chaudhary, joined the padyatra.

The Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) on Sunday extended its support to the INDIA bloc rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan against alleged electoral irregularities, demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the replacement of EVMs with ballot papers.

In a press statement, the Opposition party said democracy in the country was facing serious challenges under the BJP-led government, citing growing concerns over alleged electoral malpractice, the functioning of the Election Commission and allegations of vote theft.

At least 100 students were stopped and detained by Delhi Police on Minto Road on Sunday while they were marching towards Connaught Place to protest against the SIR of electoral rolls.

The protest was called by student organisation DISHA, which demanded the cancellation of the SIR exercise.

Delhi's Ramlila Maidan turned into the latest battleground in the Opposition’s fight against the Election Commission, with top INDIA bloc leaders launching a fresh offensive through their “Vote Chori” campaign. Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Akhilesh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee and others united to demand the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, alleging an assault on democratic institutions. As the BJP hits back and political rhetoric intensifies, the showdown raises a key question: Can the Opposition’s campaign reshape the national political narrative ahead of crucial electoral battles? Watch The Federal’s special programme Capital Beat.