Batman Mode On: Superhero masks steal the show during INDIA bloc's protest march to SC

Batman may be Gotham’s guardian, but in Delhi, the superhero found a place in Delhi’s political theatre. Youth Congress workers handed out Batman masks as INDIA bloc MPs marched towards the Supreme Court, demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, while Rahul Gandhi joined the spectacle with a masked-up photograph of his own.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi joined the moment, posing for a photograph with a Batman mask. The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) shared the picture on X with the caption, “Batman Mode: ON; Gyaneshh toh giyooo”.

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The superhero reference is part of a wider Congress social media campaign that has portrayed Gandhi as a crusader against injustice. Batman masks, video clips and the superhero’s background music have featured in the party’s messaging, turning an offhand joke by Gandhi into a recurring political motif.

From an Instagram joke to a political reel

The Batman connection with Congress began in August, when Gandhi was asked whether he was Batman during an Instagram ‘Ask Me Anything’ session.

“Let’s just say that no one has ever seen me and Batman in the same room together,” he replied.

The Congress social media team subsequently gave the joke a visual sequel.

In a 13-second Instagram reel, the party juxtaposed footage of Gandhi participating in an Opposition march from Parliament to the Election Commission’s office with scenes featuring Batman.

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The video showed Gandhi standing atop yellow police barricades in his familiar white polo shirt and khaki trousers, surrounded by cheering supporters. It then cut to Batman standing atop a dark skyscraper and looking out over Gotham.

The reel repeatedly switched between the two, drawing a visual parallel between the Congress leader and the fictional superhero.

The comparison was not limited to social media. In August, posters describing Gandhi as “the real-life Batman” appeared near the Congress headquarters at Indira Bhawan and in parts of central Delhi.

The Batman masks at Monday’s march add another chapter to the campaign, bringing the superhero imagery from party posts and posters to a street protest centred on the Election Commission and its chief.