As Opposition leaders, civil society activists and youth organisations on Saturday (October 3, 2026) continued their protests, seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi launched the ‘Satyagraha’ digital platform to map resistance movements across the country.
In a video posted on his social media handle, Mr. Gandhi said truth was being suppressed and that, as the Leader of the Opposition, it was his responsibility to help in the resistance against this.
Escalating the face-off with the Narendra Modi government over the sanctity of the electoral process, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge demanded the dissolution of the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, saying that “all the elections were illegal”. He also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Ministers of States were “illegal” occupants of their posts.
Protests and detentions
For the second day, the Delhi Police detained around 150 protesters, including All India Students’ Association national president Neha Bora, civil society activists Yogendra Yadav and Anjali Bharadwaj, and Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan, as they marched from Patel Chowk towards Jantar Mantar to demand the removal of the CEC.
Independent Rajya Sabha member and senior Supreme Court advocate Kapil Sibal also joined the march but was not detained. The protesters have been opposing the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging irregularities in the exercise.
The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of the Congress, staged a protest at India Gate over alleged irregularities in the electoral roll revision process and demanded the arrest of the CEC.
‘Satyagraha’
In his post on X announcing the ‘Satyagraha’ initiative, Mr. Gandhi said people across the country were fighting for their rights and were “too often fighting alone”. He listed Gen Z, students, farmers, Adivasis, Dalits and women among those involved in different struggles.
“‘Satyagraha’ is an initiative to bring these voices together on one map,” he said, urging people fighting what they considered injustice to register their movements on the platform. Invoking Mahatma Gandhi, he said, “Bapu taught us that truth is our greatest weapon.”
Mr. Gandhi said the platform would allow people to share their stories and see who else was fighting similar battles. He also promised to take up their concerns “in Parliament, on the streets, through letters, wherever I am needed”.
In the accompanying video, Mr. Gandhi said protests relating to land, women’s rights, Dalit and OBC rights, education, and examinations were taking place across the country. “We want to help organise these protests, put them together on one map, and work together with you to see if we can help you resolve what you’re fighting for,” he said.
“As the Leader of the Opposition, it is important for me to help people resist where truth is being crushed,” Mr. Gandhi said. “The truth is important. It is important at the highest levels, but it is important that we fight for it in every corner of the country.”
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh linked the launch of the platform to the protests against Mr. Kumar. Referring to the police action during Friday’s demonstrations, he said the “Home Minister’s police” had displayed “barbarity” against people peacefully protesting on the path shown by Mahatma Gandhi.
Mr. Ramesh alleged that the government had been formed through “stolen votes” and said the detention of citizens, students and Congress workers would not deter the protests. “The protests continue today as well, and people will keep raising their voices,” he said.
He said Mr. Gandhi’s initiative sought “to unite all those voices, no matter who is resisting or where”, adding that “our unity is our greatest strength”.
‘Illegal elections’
Mr. Kharge, speaking in Kalaburagi, Karnataka, said the Opposition would continue its agitation against the SIR and alleged that the exercise was adversely affecting poor people, workers, the uneducated and minorities. He demanded that fresh elections be held through ballot papers.
“Today, the entire country is being run on illegal elections. Modi is an illegal Prime Minister, Shah is an illegal Minister, and all the Chief Ministers who have been elected anywhere are illegal,” Mr. Kharge said, demanding that the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies be dissolved.
He also attacked the 2023 law granting immunity to the CEC and Election Commissioners for acts done in the discharge of their official duties. Referring to reports of objections raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi over aspects of the SIR, Mr. Kharge said their concerns had not altered the process.
The Congress president said the Opposition would intensify its campaign, referring to the proposed October 6 march by Opposition MPs to the Election Commission. “Our job is to awaken the people,” he said.
Thackeray backs CJP
In Mumbai, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray backed the Cockroach Janta Party-led protest at Shivaji Park against the CEC on Friday.
In a post on X, he described the demonstration as an “awakening” and said it was the beginning of a movement to “reclaim democracy”.
“Protests and voices asking questions from all across India shall continue till democracy is reclaimed from the regime,” Mr. Thackeray said.
Published – October 03, 2026 10:40 pm IST
