Rahul Gandhi spent 14 hours out of 48 hours on the road: Ate on the ground; Detained thrice; Most active in the last 3 years

Rahul Gandhi took to the streets for two consecutive days demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the cancellation of the SIR. In 48 hours, he spent more than 14 hours in the protest. On October 6, Rahul, Priyanka and opposition MPs staged a dharna at the All India Radio premises for about 8 hours. During this time, Rahul was seen sitting on the ground under a tree and eating. The police took him into custody twice. On October 7, Rahul had lunch with the opposition MPs and then left for Jantar Mantar in a bus. When the police stopped the bus on the way, Rahul stood on the road. When he did not move from there, the police forcibly picked him up and took him into custody. He was released after about two hours. This was his biggest demonstration on the road after the completion of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in 2023. In between, he has been involved in small demonstrations. In the year 2026, Rahul is the most active in the last three years. In 2024, he participated in only one big demonstration. In 2025 too, he took out a march with the opposition. This year, he has registered or participated in four major protests in 4 months against the treatment meted out to students in the protest on the NEET paper issue and the protest against the SIR. October 6, 2026: March from Parliament to Election Commission and 9-hour dharna 1. March from Parliament to Election Commission Opposition MPs of INDIA block led by Rahul Gandhi marched from Parliament to the Election Commission office. The main issues were SIR, the alleged irregularities in the voters' list and the demand for the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar. The Opposition wanted the Election Commission to listen to its complaints. 2. The police stopped the march by putting up barricades The march was stopped near NITI Aayog. Rahul Gandhi climbed the barricade and hoisted the tricolour. Many other opposition leaders were also stopped and detained by the police. 3. Rahul-Priyanka reached Akashvani Bhawan After the march stopped, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi reached the Akashvani Bhavan premises. There other opposition MPs also joined them. They started a dharna there demanding a meeting with the Election Commission. 4. The dharna lasted for about 9 hours. Rahul Gandhi, while talking to the media during the dharna, said that he is standing to protect democracy. The Opposition wanted a delegation of about 240 MPs to meet the Election Commission. But the ECI said that no political party had formally requested the meeting till 4 pm. Later, the Commission said that the proposal to meet 240 MPs in the Parliament premises was not in accordance with its set protocol. 5. Police ended the sit-in at night, detained After about 8-9 hours, the police evacuated the Akashvani Bhavan premises. Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and several opposition leaders were detained. According to the Delhi Police, around 260 people, including 10 MPs, were detained. They were later released. 7 October 2026: Attempt to go to Jantar-Mantar and then detention 1. The Opposition continued the agitation for the second day After October 6, the Opposition did not end the agitation. On October 7, MPs from the INDIA block, including Rahul Gandhi, planned to stage a protest at Jantar Mantar. The demand remained the same – questions on the SIR, allegations related to the voters' list and the demand for the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar. 2. After lunch, the MPs left for Jantar Mantar in buses. About 300 MPs gathered for Jantar Mantar. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also hosted a lunch for the MPs. After that, the opposition MPs left for Jantar Mantar in buses. 3. Police stopped the buses before they reached Jantar Mantar. The Delhi Police stopped the buses about 100 meters before the Jantar Mantar. Heavy police and RAF were deployed there. The protesters got down from the buses and started protesting on the road. Some Congress MPs also climbed on the roof of the buses. 4. Protest on the road, Rahul and Priyanka detained There was a scuffle and tension between the police and the protesters. Priyanka Gandhi sat on the road. Several opposition MPs, including Rahul Gandhi, were detained by the police. Rahul, meanwhile, said that every FIR registered against him is like a "medal" for him and he will continue to demand the resignation of the CEC. 4 strategies, 2 challenges of Rahul-Congress... Turning SIR into a big political campaign against the Modi government The Congress does not want to make SIR just an issue of the voter list process. Its aim is to turn it into a big political campaign against the Modi government by linking it with the right to vote and the impartiality of the election. Rahul is the face in Delhi, while the party's next focus is on reaching the block, village and booth. That is, connecting Rahul's street politics with the grassroots organization of the Congress is an important strategy of this campaign. These movements can keep the cadre level constantly active. By leading the continuous agitation on national issues like CEC and SIR, Rahul wants to make himself the face of the Opposition in the joint battle of the INDIA Bloc. If this campaign goes on for a long time, then the Congress will have the basis to make voter list, SIR and election transparency a big political issue before the 2027 assembly elections. That is, the current agitation is not just an immediate protest but also an attempt to prepare a narrative for the upcoming elections. Keeping the Opposition united The big challenge is that the Congress wants to make Rahul the face of the movement, but it was during the October 6 protest that questions were raised about the coordination with the allies. Some opposition leaders alleged that the sudden dharna held by Rahul-Priyanka at Akashvani Bhavan was held without discussion with the allies and the entire focus was on the Gandhi family. In states like Tamil Nadu, differences with allies have also come to the fore. Therefore, keeping the opposition united is also the strategy and challenge of the Congress. The political slogan can survive only when the Congress can show how many genuine voters' names have been wrongly deleted and how many verified cases it has. On the other hand, the ECI says that the names removed from the SIR include dead, permanently migranted, absentee or duplicate voters and special campaigns are also being run for those who have been excluded.