Protests held across country demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s ouster, hundreds detained
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slams police action on protesters, says ‘lathi can stop a crowd, but not a question’; political parties, activists and students take out rallies across States seeking electoral reforms and rollback of SIR
Protests erupted across India on Thursday, October 2, 2026, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. Hundreds of protesters were detained, particularly in Delhi, where over 500 individuals, including former Chief Minister Atisihi, were arrested by the Delhi Police. Opposition parties, civil society activists, youth, and student organizations held peaceful demonstrations, with Rahul Gandhi condemning the police actions and vowing to continue resistance until Kumar steps down.
The protests, which took place on Gandhi Jayanti, were characterized by a call for truth and peaceful questioning, with leaders like K.C. Venugopal of the Congress stating that they are ready to go to jail to protect democracy.
Brief written by urgent.news from The Hindu's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 2 other outlets
- Rahul demands CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation as protests erupt in Delhi, Mumbai timesofindia.indiatimes.com
- 700 Detained As Delhi, Mumbai See Big Protests Against Gyanesh Kumar ndtv.com
