Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday described the opposition’s ongoing protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as Tandava, invoking Lord Shiva’s dance to explain why he believes the movement does not require a fixed strategy.

Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha said the protests were aimed at winning the hearts and minds of people across the country. The demonstrations concern alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the opposition’s demand for action against Gyanesh Kumar.

Explaining a conversation with his sister, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rahul Gandhi said she had suggested that the party should make a plan for its protests.

“My sister tells me that we should make a plan. So I told my sister, ‘You are not understanding the point. This is Tandav. This is Lord Shiva’s dance. There is no planning in this,” he said.

He argued that the movement could take different forms depending on the circumstances, adding that the opposition had changed its approach when police prevented protesters from proceeding as initially intended.

Rahul Gandhi says all protests are part of one movement

Rahul Gandhi rejected the suggestion that demonstrations by different groups should be treated as separate protests. He said they were part of a broader movement to defend the Constitution and encouraged people from different political backgrounds to participate.

“All the protests are one protest. There are no parallel protests and the idea is India is marching,” he said.

The Congress leader added that the movement was open to anyone who wanted to defend the Constitution, regardless of their political affiliation.

Using the religious imagery again, Gandhi said people could join what he described as “Shiv ki Baraat”, or Lord Shiva’s procession.

He also referred to the Bharat Jodo Yatra, saying people had walked together during the campaign without a single leader dominating the procession. He described that experience as another example of the unity he associated with the movement.

Opposition plans march to Supreme Court

The remarks came as INDIA bloc leaders prepared to march towards the Supreme Court to continue their protest against the Election Commission and the SIR process.

Gandhi referred to an earlier sit-in at Akashvani Bhavan in Delhi, explaining that the original plan had been to travel by bus, sit at the location and get arrested. When police did not allow the protesters to proceed as intended, the approach changed.

He questioned whether the outcome had resulted from a predetermined plan or from adapting to the circumstances.

The opposition has been demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s removal over allegations concerning the electoral revision process. These are allegations made by opposition leaders and should not be treated as established findings.

Rahul Gandhi says resistance will continue

Gandhi said the protests were not limited to demonstrations on the streets, arguing that the opposition was seeking to influence public opinion.

“We are not fighting for the street, we are fighting for the mind, heart of Indian people,” he said.

He also said the movement would continue and reiterated his criticism of Gyanesh Kumar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Asked about possible communication with the government, Gandhi said several people had reached out to those around him, although he had not been contacted directly. He maintained that he was making his position public through press conferences and public appearances.

The Congress leader’s remarks underscored his stated intention to continue the opposition’s campaign against the Election Commission and the SIR process, using different forms of protest rather than following a single fixed plan.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday defended police action ahead of a protest called by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) in Delhi and launched an attack on Congress and Rahul Gandhi over demonstrations concerning alleged electoral fraud.

Addressing the issue, BJP spokesperson and MP Ravi Shankar Prasad defended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, whose resignation has been demanded by Opposition parties.

“India is not a banana republic,” Prasad said, asserting that the country had not bowed under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and would not do so in the future.

He also described the developments surrounding the protests as an attempt to create anarchy, arguing that democratic institutions and Parliament, rather than street demonstrations, should determine the country’s course.

BJP accuses Congress of politicising street protests

Prasad said the BJP was not opposed to protests but accused Congress of using street demonstrations as a political weapon following electoral defeats.

He argued that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance’s victories in bypolls in Assam, West Bengal and Puducherry on Friday demonstrated public support for the ruling alliance. He also claimed that the protests had failed to secure popular backing.

The BJP spokesperson’s remarks were directed primarily at Congress and Rahul Gandhi, although he did not specifically name CJP while criticising the protests.

Over 1,000 people detained amid Delhi protest crackdown

More than 1,000 people, including CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and other leaders, were detained in Delhi on Saturday morning as police action prevented protesters from reaching the planned demonstration site at Jantar Mantar.

Four former chief ministers — Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, Pinarayi Vijayan and Manik Sarkar — were also detained during the day. All India Students’ Association president Neha Bora was among those detained.

A heavy deployment of police and paramilitary personnel across the capital prevented protesters from reaching Jantar Mantar, with authorities citing the absence of permission for the demonstration.

The CJP protest was called over allegations of electoral fraud and concerns surrounding the conduct of the Election Commission. The allegations remain contested.

BJP responds to Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on the President

Prasad also criticised Rahul Gandhi over his statement following a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu on Friday.

Gandhi had said the President did not deny the Opposition’s allegations of “vote chori”, or vote theft. Prasad described Gandhi’s interpretation as an insult to the office of the President.

The INDIA bloc had submitted a memorandum outlining its demands concerning the Election Commission and the electoral process.

These included the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, repeal of the 2023 law providing legal immunity to the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners, suspension of the SIR exercise, restoration of 13.3 crore voters whom the Opposition said had been deleted from electoral rolls, and a return to paper ballots.

The memorandum also sought the repeal of Assembly election results from the previous two years in constituencies where the Opposition claimed conclusive evidence of vote theft had been presented.

The BJP’s response comes amid a wider political confrontation between the ruling party and Opposition groups over electoral rolls, the Election Commission and allegations of irregularities in the electoral process.

Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and five Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs were detained in Delhi on Saturday while attempting to join a protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. 

Banerjee was detained from South Avenue in central Delhi, where she had staged a protest at a bus stop after police stopped her from proceeding. The five TMC MPs detained alongside her included Derek O’Brien and Dola Sen. They were taken away in a police bus. 

Banerjee was seen with a band-aid over her mouth during the protest. In a video statement recorded inside the police bus, she accused the government of misbehaving with the protesters and said the INDIA alliance would continue fighting to strengthen people’s voices. 

The opposition leaders raised allegations of “vote chori” and electoral irregularities, demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. These were allegations made by opposition leaders, not independently established findings.

Police stopped Banerjee as she attempted to proceed to the protest. Several other opposition and student leaders were also detained while trying to join the demonstration. Former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPM MP John Brittas were among those taken to Chhatrasal Stadium.

The INDIA bloc has also announced a protest against the alleged Election Commission irregularities on Monday. The allegations of vote theft remain claims raised by opposition leaders.