LIVE: Rahul leaves SC after INDIA bloc files petition over SIR, CEC row
Jantar Mantar is no longer a designated protest site; Centre names 3 new sites in Delhi
The INDIA bloc is taking its fight against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to the Supreme Court, with Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi leading a march alongside other Opposition leaders. The delegation is expected to reach the court premises shortly to submit a petition against the CEC.
Chief Justice Surya Kant earlier declined to meet Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul over “vote chori” allegations, saying similar matters are sub judice in the Supreme Court.
Also read: CJP to approach police seeking date to hold peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar
Both Rahul and Kharge had written to CJI Surya Kant, seeking a meeting between 4 and 5 pm on Monday to hand over a memorandum, demanding an end to “vote chori”, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar's resignation, halting of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and switching back to the paper ballot format.
Map showing Jantar Mantar, denotified as a protest site, and the three new designated protest sites in Delhi: Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground.
In response to Rahul's request for a meeting, CJI Surya Kant said on Sunday that no orders can be passed on the administrative side, as he asked the Congress leader to file a petition on the judicial side that may be taken up on Tuesday, the sources said.
The CJI said the Supreme Court is open 24x7 for all citizens if their fundamental rights are violated, they added.
He also said the Supreme Court cannot interfere with the functions of the executive on the administrative side, the sources said.
March for democracy
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi said that Opposition parties, civil society groups and the youth would march to the Supreme Court on Monday to submit a memorandum to the CJI on behalf of the country.
The Congress has termed Monday's protest “Chalo Delhi - March for Democracy”, for which the leaders are scheduled to converge at the Connaught Place-Barakhamba Road junction at 1:30 pm.
In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi said the march to the Supreme Court would be taken out by Indians united beyond parties, gender, caste, community and state.
“Yesterday, the nation's youth came out in Delhi to peacefully protest. They came with love in their hearts, not hatred or anger. They were beaten, both by cops and BJP goons. This is not the India we want.
“Tomorrow, we will march to the Supreme Court as Indians, united beyond party, gender, caste, community and state. Youth, all opposition parties, civil society groups, and all those who believe in democracy and stand by the Constitution of India will walk with us,” Gandhi said in the post.
“Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Ajit Doval and Mohan Bhagwat cannot silence India's voice. These cowards cannot intimidate us. They will have to step aside. We will march together, with love, brotherhood and patriotism. Daro mat,” he said, adding that “tomorrow, all of India will march to the Supreme Court”.
Rahul also alleged that protesters in Delhi were beaten up by the police and BJP's goons on Saturday. He said they were marching in protest as citizens of the country only because they wanted to protect the Constitution.
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Live Updates
- 12 Oct 2026 3:30 PM IST
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PM will denotify democracy tomorrow: Dipke on govt's Jantar Mantar move
Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke on Monday slammed the decision to denotify Jantar Mantar in Delhi as a designated protest site and warned "ab poora desh Jantar Mantar banega" (entire nation will turn into Jantar Mantar).
A standing order issued on October 11 by Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar named Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in east Delhi as the new designated sites for protests and demonstrations.
"They have removed Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site. Yes, it's no a longer protest site as anyway it was turned into a war zone by the coward dictator. Ab poora desh Jantar Mantar banega!," Dipke said in a post on X.
In another post, Dipke said Prime Minister Narendra Modi could "denotify democracy" next.
"Today, Modi denotified Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site. Tomorrow, he will denotify democracy itself. The dictator's problem was never the protest site. It was the very idea of people protesting," Dipke said on social media.
- 12 Oct 2026 3:17 PM IST
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Protesters gather on Barakhamba Road ahead of the INDIA bloc’s ‘Chalo Delhi – March for Democracy’.
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- 12 Oct 2026 3:04 PM IST
Meeting incompatible with ethics, judicial propriety as matter sub judice: CJI to Rahul, Kharge
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has said that a meeting with opposition leaders would be "incompatible with the established ethics and judicial propriety" as the matter raised by them are sub judice before the court.
In his letter to leaders of opposition Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, the CJI declined the meeting on Monday and told them that discussing pending cases would be improper and urged them to file a petition with the court either physically or online.
"At the very outset, it may be noted that the issues referred to hereinabove are already sub judice before the Supreme Court of India. Therefore, convening a meeting to discuss pending cases would wholly contravene the principle of Separation of Powers, an intrinsic facet of the basic structure doctrine of the Constitution of India, and would be incompatible with the established ethics and judicial propriety."
"In this vein, I also wish to remind you that within our constitutional framework, the Supreme Court of India is not endowed with any administrative powers to deal with the issues highlighted in your letter," he said.
"However, in the exercise of our jurisdiction under Article 32 of our Constitution, along with other plenary powers, including that of judicial review, we are duty-bound to consider on judicial side the gravamen of issues affecting the citizens of India," the CJI said, responding to Rahul and Kharge's letter, which was shared by the Congress on Monday.
The Supreme Court of India reiterates its commitment to preserve and protect the Fundamental Rights of every citizen of India and that they are entitled to seek enforcement of such rights at all hours through the procedure known in law, Chief Justice Kant said.
"It would thus be more appropriate on your part to invoke the judicial powers of the Supreme Court of India, instead of submitting a memorandum on the administrative side," the CJI said.
- 12 Oct 2026 2:59 PM IST
Delhi police denotifies Jantar Mantar, designates three new protest sites
Map showing Jantar Mantar, denotified as a protest site, and the three new designated protest sites in Delhi: Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground.
- 12 Oct 2026 2:54 PM IST
‘Ab poora desh Jantar Mantar banega’: Dipke after protest site denotified
Reacting to the Delhi Police's decision to denotify Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site, Abhijeet Dipke said the venue had already been turned into a “war zone”. In a post on X, Dipke wrote: “They have removed Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site. Yes, it’s no longer a protest site as anyway it was turned into a war zone by the coward dictator. Ab poora desh Jantar Mantar banega!”
- 12 Oct 2026 2:39 PM IST
INDIA bloc leaders set to leave for march to Supreme Court
A bus carrying Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA bloc leaders is set to leave the Constitution Club of India for a march to the Supreme Court. The alliance has also announced plans to file a petition before the apex court over Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and its allegations concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
- 12 Oct 2026 2:35 PM IST
Delhi cops ‘mentally tortured’ me and my family, claims Dipke
Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke on Monday alleged that Delhi police subjected him and his family to "mental torture", adding that his kin and lawyer were unaware about his whereabouts during detention on October 10 ahead of the outfit's stir at Jantar Mantar.
Dipke, who was in Santuk Pimpri in Hingoli after the passing away of his grandmother a couple of days ago, told reporters he was detained from the aircraft when his flight landed in Delhi and that the police did not inform his parents or lawyers about his whereabouts.
Dipke said he was not allowed to retrieve the number of his cousin, who stayed with his deceased grandmother, either.
He also hit out at Delhi police over the chain of events following the death of his grandmother. Delhi police have released a video to refute the CJP's claim that Dipke was not informed about his grandmother's death while in custody on October 10.
The police have claimed the news was conveyed with due sensitivity and assistance was offered for his travel to his hometown for the funeral, but he "declined" the offer.
"If they told me about the death of my grandmother then why did they come with arrest papers to me at 3.30 am and asked me to sign. They asked me to talk to my parents but I said they had health issues and I cannot talk to them at this moment. I asked to call my cousin who was with my grandmother. But they (Delhi Police) did not even allow me to retrieve his number from the phone," Dipke said.
