Main opposition Congress party and the INDIA alliance have declared a ‘Chalo Delhi March’ at New Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on November 1, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities and voter fraud in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, urged students, youth, and the general public to take to the streets, dismissing fears of police action or baton charges.
In a message posted on X (formerly Twitter), Rahul Gandhi asserted that neither the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nor the police would dare to employ tactics to suppress the demonstration.
Rahul Gandhi emphasized that the rally is not for any single political party, but a collective struggle to protect democracy, freedom of speech, and the Indian Constitution. He called upon students across all political ideologies to join the march without hesitation.
Intelligence units of the Delhi Police estimate that between 40,000 and 50,000 people from across India may gather at the 12-acre Ramlila Maidan.
Approximately 3,000 police personnel will be deployed in and around Ramlila Maidan. Surveillance will be bolstered by 150 high-resolution, AI-enabled CCTV cameras featuring facial recognition capabilities, alongside body-worn cameras for security staff.
To prevent untoward incidents, one of the eight gates at Ramlila Maidan has been reserved for the safe entry and exit of Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders. Parking facilities have been designated near Rajghat and Mata Sundari College, while police have set up heavy barricades to block any movement toward New Delhi or Jantar Mantar.
