CEC-SIR protest LIVE: Rahul says INDIA bloc’s next move a ‘surprise’; Shah tells Cong to introspect
After meeting INDIA bloc leaders and civil society members, the LoP says the movement will continue until those accused of electoral fraud are brought to justice
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday (October 13) said he would not reveal the Opposition parties’ next move amid the CEC-SIR row, saying that doing so would spoil the excitement and sense of surprise for citizens. “Our movement will go till the end goal. How? That is a surprise,” he said.
“Sooner or later, whether tomorrow, the day after, in three months, six months, a year or two years, it will not stop. It will reach the end goal. I cannot tell you exactly how we will get there, because that would spoil the surprise, and we want to maintain the excitement and sense of surprise for you and the country. But I guarantee you that, just as we mobilised with such energy, strength and unity, we will continue to fight together in the same spirit,” he said.
High tea at Rahul's residence
Addressing reporters after deliberations with INDIA bloc and civil society members at his residence, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha said this is the Opposition’s commitment that the people who have indulged in “vote chori” would be brought to justice, naming Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
Rahul had hosted Opposition leaders of the grouping together with civil society members and students’ leaders at his residence for tea. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi and several opposition leaders, including Tejashwi Yadav and Manoj Jha of the RJD, Mahua Maji (JMM), Harender Malik, Anand Bhadauria and Mohibullah Nadvi (SP), M A Baby (CPI-M), D Raja and P Sandosh Kumar (CPI), AISA chief Neha Bora, Dipankar Bhattacharya (CPI-ML) and Mahua Moitra (TMC), attended the tea at Rahul Gandhi's 5, Sunehri Bagh Road, residence.
The LoP also said that they had extreme respect for the Supreme Court and the Chief Justice of India (CJI) and hoped they would play their role in this process. “No matter what happens, no matter which institution plays a role or not, political resistance will continue, people’s resistance will continue and it will triumph,” he said.
The meeting came a day after Opposition leaders, joined by activists and civil society members, undertook a "March for Democracy" on a heavily-barricaded route and filed a joint petition against the SIR of electoral rolls and alleged poll irregularities in a major show of strength in the national capital.
SC gives Centre more time to file response
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court extended time till October 15 for the filing of response by the Centre on a batch of petitions arising from the closure of Metro stations and disruptions in train services in Delhi ahead of October 10 protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
A bench of Chief Justice (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, which was scheduled to conduct the crucial hearing on a litany of petitions, deferred the hearing to Thursday as Justice Mohana was indisposed.
Read our stories on the topic here
DMK-Congress feud: SIR becomes flashpoint in Tamil Nadu’s new political equation
Opportunism or long game? Why Akhilesh Yadav picked a Modi fan as SP’s RS candidate
What Rahul Gandhi's SIR petition in SC asks, and why sceptics doubt it
Foreign hand in anti-SIR protests? Prove it, or drop it, Mr Nabin
Indian voter is angry, but Gyanesh Kumar can still atone for his ‘crimes’
Follow this space for more live updates
Live Updates
- 13 Oct 2026 9:10 PM IST
Can Jantar Mantar protest ban silence dissent?
With the de-notification of Jantar Mantar as Delhi’s designated protest site and fresh questions over where citizens can voice dissent, this episode of AI With Sanket examines the shrinking spaces for public protest in the national capital. Veteran journalists Arati R Jerath, Shikha Mukherjee and Neerja Chowdhury trace the evolution of protest venues from Teen Murti and the Boat Club to India Gate and Jantar Mantar, and debate whether shifting demonstrations to Burari, Shahdara or Ramlila Maidan can curb public dissent. The discussion also looks at the October 10 security lockdown, the suspension of Metro services and internet access, the absence of dialogue between the government and protesters, the SIR controversy involving Gyanesh Kumar, and whether India’s political class is becoming increasingly detached from public opinion.
- 13 Oct 2026 8:59 PM IST
CJP claims three leaders remain in ‘illegal detention’ after being held at Jantar Mantar
Cockroach Janta Party on Tuesday claimed that CJP leaders Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Das and Ajinkya Shinde were still under “illegal detention.”
In a post on X, CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke said, “Delhi Police has turned into kidnappers of Shah.”
The three were detained Tuesday morning upon reaching Jantar Mantar.
- 13 Oct 2026 8:56 PM IST
Gyanesh Kumar is a 'mafia', has criminalised entire system: Sanjay Raut
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, saying he is such a "mafia" who has "criminalised" the entire electoral system.
The Rajya Sabha MP said the fight for democracy and the right to vote will continue "under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi". His remarks to the media came after the Congress leader hosted INDIA bloc leaders and members of civil society and student organisations at his residence for tea.
"Gyanesh Kumar is a mafia, he is such a mafia who has criminalised the entire (electoral) system. We know how to fight and deal with such mafias. For the past 12 years, (PM Narendra) Modi and (Home Minister Amit) Shah had kept the country in fear and intimidation, but now it's their turn to be afraid," Raut said at the joint address to the media. They are sitting scared, deploying such huge forces, Raut added.
"This struggle, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi ji, will continue in Delhi, states and cities, and all of us are together and will remain together," he said.
- 13 Oct 2026 8:54 PM IST
Rahul didn't push me, BJP spreading 'misinformation': DK Shivakumar
Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar dismissed claims that Rahul Gandhi pushed him aside during Monday's protest march in Delhi, as a slugfest erupted between the Congress and the BJP over a viral video.
The Karnataka BJP launched a sharp attack on Rahul over the alleged incident during the October 12 'March for Democracy' to the Supreme Court, calling it an "insult" to the entire state. It posted a video clip on social media purportedly showing Shivakumar being pushed back amid jostling protesters as he tried to walk alongside Rahul, who marched ahead.
"Rahul Gandhi did not push me during the protest held in Delhi. He showed concern for me by suggesting that I board the vehicle following behind, as the crowd of protesters was large," Shivakumar told reporters in Delhi.
"No one pushed me during the protest," he asserted, while taking a swipe at the BJP, saying it had "immense affection" for him and was therefore spreading "misinformation".
- 13 Oct 2026 8:52 PM IST
What next for INDIA bloc in its fight against CEC and SIR?
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s high-tea meeting with INDIA bloc leaders, student organisations and civil society representatives signals a broader push to sustain protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demand accountability from Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. In this episode of Capital Beat, The Federal’s Neelu Vyas and its political editor, Puneet Nicholas Yadav, discuss the Opposition’s next moves, the challenge of keeping the alliance united, the possibility of reclaiming Jantar Mantar as a protest site and the need for a formal INDIA bloc secretariat.
- 13 Oct 2026 7:59 PM IST
Amit Shah hits back at Rahul Gandhi over SIR criticism
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his allegations concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, arguing that the Congress needed to examine the reasons behind its electoral defeats.
"I also wish to ask Rahul ji: is this the result of an 'SIR'? You dismiss the popularity of the BJP and Modi ji by attributing it to an 'SIR'. You need to introspect," Shah said as quoted by the Hindustan Times.
He pointed to the Congress's electoral record in a state where the party had previously been in power, saying it had failed to win an election there in 41 years.
"This is a matter that demands serious introspection on their part," he said.
Shah also cited recent by-elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, claiming that the Congress had failed to secure a single seat in the contests.
"I want to inform the people of the country today that the Congress party did not win a single seat in the elections held in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry," he said.
- 13 Oct 2026 7:01 PM IST
Rahul vows political resistance will continue despite the court's role
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the INDIA bloc would continue its political campaign regardless of the role played by judicial institutions, while expressing respect for the Supreme Court and the Chief Justice of India.
“We have the utmost respect for the Chief Justice of India, the Supreme Court and the judicial system of India. They have a role to play. We hope that they will play that role,” Gandhi said while addressing the media.
He stressed that the opposition's campaign would continue independently of institutional intervention.
“But we are also political people. No matter what happens, political resistance will continue, people's resistance will continue, and it will triumph,” he said.
- 13 Oct 2026 6:36 PM IST
Shashi Tharoor says authorities must listen to public protests
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said authorities should pay attention to public protests and listen to the concerns being raised, speaking after the INDIA bloc's high tea meeting at Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's residence.
"Whenever there is a protest, the authorities ought to take notice. They should listen to what is on the public's mind..." Tharoor said.
He also addressed the issue of Ladakh, asserting India's position on the region.
"Ladakh belongs to our country; we do not recognize any other country as having any locus standi in this matter," he said.
- 13 Oct 2026 6:34 PM IST
AISA chief Neha Bora says BJP should remain focus of protest
AISA president Neha Bora urged protesters to direct their focus towards the BJP, saying the ruling party should remain at the centre of the ongoing political fight.
She made the remarks during a joint press conference with INDIA bloc MPs, reiterating that the opposition's campaign should be aimed at the BJP.
- 13 Oct 2026 6:16 PM IST
Rahul Gandhi vows INDIA bloc’s political resistance will continue
Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said the INDIA bloc would sustain its campaign against alleged electoral irregularities, insisting that the movement would continue until it achieved its objective.
Referring to his remarks at a press conference on Monday, Rahul said the alliance was committed to persevering, regardless of how long the struggle took.
"Sooner or later—whether tomorrow, the day after, in three months, six months, a year, or two years—it will not stop. It will reach the end goal," he said, adding that he would not disclose the Opposition's next steps to preserve an element of surprise.
Rahul thanked the Supreme Court and expressed confidence in the judiciary's role, while stressing that the Opposition's political campaign would not depend solely on institutional intervention.
"We have immense respect for the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice of India, and the Indian judicial system; they have a role to play, and we hope they will play it," he said.
He added that political and public resistance would continue regardless of the role played by institutions.
"Political resistance will continue, people's resistance will continue, and it will triumph," Rahul said.
