Gen Z gives ‘Dilli Chalo’ call to fix ‘broken system’

Youth organisations on Wednesday (October 7, 2026) urged youth from across the country to join a protest on October 10 at Jantar Mantar in Delhi demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and a rollback of the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Also read | Must seek Jantar Mantar protest permission 10 days before event: Delhi Police

The All India Students Association (AISA), Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), All India Students’ Federation (AISF), Student Federation of India (SFI), and Association of Students of Alternative Politics (ASAP) addressed a joint press conference here.

“The call of 10 October is a united call of the ‘we the people of India’ versus the BJP. The call is not by one organisation; it is by all of us — the CJP, INDIA opposition, and the student wings of all the opposition parties,” said AISA president Neha Bora.

Ms. Bora said that while the protest over NEET irregularities in June ended with the resignation of a Cabinet Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, this time it will lead to the CEC’s ouster. “This is a fight to save democracy. We will not tolerate isolated detentions by the Delhi Police. All of us will come together when even one of us is threatened in the protest,” she added.

Mr. Das reiterated that the CJP, along with all student organisations and civil society groups, will hit the streets on October 10 and go back only when the electoral system is reformed.

“We will not stop at the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar. We will have to ensure that people who take illegal decisions are arrested and [that] there are criminal proceedings against them. We will not stop till SIR is rolled back, the voter rolls are restored to January 2025 and [the] law to appoint the Election Commissioners is reformed,” he said.

‘Buy tickets to Delhi’

Giving the slogan of “Dilli Chalo”, Mr. Das said, “People who have not booked their train tickets, they should book their tickets of train or flights, or book a cab and come to Delhi. This is going to be a long fight to change the broken system. The right to vote is the only way to change the system, and to protect that, only youth can put up the fight. Only Gen Z can put up this fight. This is why the government is scared of us.”

Mr. Das said that the government should initiate talks with the youth delegation about reforming the system instead of using force against the protesters. “We have received information that the government is mobilising their extremist groups against us to derail the protest and create a hostile and violent atmosphere,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Das formally intimated the Delhi Police about the October 10 protest. The police “acknowledged” the intimation letter, following which the organisers completed the paperwork and gave an undertaking in connection with the proposed demonstration. The police are yet to give a permission.

Last week, Ms. Bora led a delegation to the Parliament Street police station to submit an intimation letter regarding the October 2 march. The protest was not granted permission and the protesters were detained, with the police citing the demonstrations as unauthorised.