SFI students march towards Ramlila Maidan in support of INDIA bloc's 'Chalo Delhi' rally; BJP stages counter-protest

Student activists affiliated with the Students' Federation of India (SFI) gathered at Harkishan Singh Surjeet Bhawan today morning and marched towards Ramlila Maidan, where the INDIA bloc is holding a joint protest demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral roll irregularities.

Students and youth delegates assembled with banners and flags, raising slogans such as "Inquilab Zindabad" before setting out. The march is part of a wider mobilisation by student groups, mass organisations and Opposition parties ahead of the rally.

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The INDIA bloc's demonstration is scheduled to begin at 11 am, with MPs assembling at the Constitution Club before proceeding towards Ramlila Maidan from the Minto Road-Connaught Place junction at noon.

Opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee, Hemant Soren, Revanth Reddy, Tejashwi Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav are among those expected to attend.

Security has been tightened across central Delhi, with police deploying personnel and putting up barricades along roads leading to Ramlila Maidan. Traffic restrictions have also been imposed to manage the movement of demonstrators.

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The rally comes a day after Opposition parties held a public impeachment programme against Kumar. During a mock Parliament on October 31, Kharge moved a resolution listing six allegations against the CEC, including the alleged deletion of 13.2 crore voters from electoral rolls, changes to Form 6 without parliamentary oversight and the use of ECINET to control electoral rolls.

The Opposition also accused Kumar of excluding the other two Election Commissioners from key decisions and acting at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Rahul Gandhi said the Opposition would not allow the CEC to "escape", while BJP leaders dismissed the exercise as "melodrama" and defended the constitutional safeguards available to senior constitutional functionaries.

Meanwhile, the BJP is organising a separate march in West Delhi to mark the anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The party has accused the Congress of holding a political rally on a day associated with the violence.

The BJP march will begin at 11.30 am from Hari Nagar Bus Depot and proceed towards Tilak Nagar Metro Station. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Minister of State Harsh Malhotra, Manjinder Singh Sirsa and MP Bansuri Swaraj are among those expected to participate, along with members of the Sikh community.

Earlier, BJP MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney is scheduled to address the media at Gurdwara Shaheed Ganj Sahib alongside riot victims. The party is also mobilising survivors and their families to highlight the alleged role of Congress leaders in the violence.

The rival demonstrations come amid an ongoing political dispute over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and allegations of electoral roll irregularities.

The INDIA bloc rally was announced by Congress general secretary KC Venugopal on October 5.