PM Modi Speaks to Hero Flydubai Pilot Captain Smit Machhar, Protests on October 2

The national capital witnessed mass demonstrations as the INDIA bloc, student outfits, and civil society groups demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the revision of electoral rolls. Protesters including members of the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Left parties, and Rashtriya Janata Dal attempted to gather at Jantar Mantar, where Section 163 was imposed. Delhi Police detained over 1,100 demonstrators, including senior Left leaders MA Baby and Brinda Karat, transporting them away in buses. The opposition accused the Election Commission of removing eligible voters from electoral rolls, while the central government defended the poll panel and dismissed the opposition agitation.

A protest organised by the Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) took place at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on Gandhi Jayanti, drawing youth participation and public figures, including music composer Vishal Dadlani, Abhijeet Dipke, Saurabh Das, and Ashutosh Ranka. Demonstrators gathered to raise voices in defence of constitutional values, democratic rights, and the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr B.R. Ambedkar, and Jawaharlal Nehru. Speakers at the rally invoked Gandhi's principles of peaceful resistance and asserted that India's foundation rests on ideological sacrifice, universal franchise, and fundamental rights. Protesters addressed several issues, criticising government policies, administrative functioning, demonetisation, and public management during the COVID-19 pandemic. The demonstration focused on youth mobilisation in Maharashtra, contrasting with previous demonstrations held in Delhi, and underscored the continuation of citizen-led movements to safeguard civil liberties.

Two opposing demonstrations broke out at Shivaji Park in Mumbai as protesters gathered to demand the removal of the Chief Election Commissioner. One demonstration, supported by opposition parties, saw the participation of celebrities and public figures standing in solidarity to assert constitutional rights on Gandhi Jayanti. Concurrently, a counter-demonstration emerged at the same venue targeting the organizers over alleged selective outrage. Broadcaster reports highlighted the simultaneous protests unfolding live at the park, with participants asserting their right to question government decisions while opposing groups voiced their dissent at the location.

A massive protest movement has erupted against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar across Mumbai and Delhi. In Mumbai, the Citizens Justice Party led by founder Abhijeet Dipke organised a gathering at Shivaji Park in Dadar, pressing three principal demands: the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, the freezing of the 2025 electoral list, and complete transparency in appointing future election chiefs. Large crowds, including youths and first-time voters from various parts of Maharashtra, gathered at the iconic venue holding the national tricolour and placards despite the absence of formal police permission. Security forces maintained a heavy presence at the site while the organisation planned further agitations across six other cities leading up to an indefinite demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi by late October. Meanwhile, earlier demonstrations in the national capital witnessed the detention of over 1,100 political and student activists by Delhi Police.