Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Saturday slammed the Delhi Police’s handling of protests held on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, asserting, “A lathi can stop the crowd, but not the question.”

In a post uploaded on his official ‘X’ handle, Gandhi said people across India were fighting for procuring their rights, often without support. He reflected on struggles being faced by GenZs, students, tribal communities, Dalits and women, opining that each movement had its own story but that individual voices could be suppressed when they stood alone.

Gandhi announces launch of Satyagraha Portal

During this, Gandhi also announced the rollout of a portal named ‘Satyagraha,’ and invited people to share their experiences of alleged injustice. As per him, the initiative will map such struggles and help connect people facing similar issues across the country. He pleaded with citizens involved in any struggle to submit their stories through the portal.

He also invoked Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy, asserting that truth was the greatest weapon and argued that standing together in truth’s support could help amplify people’s voices.

He added that the submission would take around 2 minutes on the portal and that contributors would be able to see others reeling under similar issues. He went on to say that he would raise the concerns listed on the portal in the Parliament, on the streets and through letters, adding that standing with people when required was part of his responsibility as the Leader of Opposition.

700 protestors detained in Delhi amid calls for CEC’s resignation

Gandhi’s remarks made it to the headlines almost a day after protests were staged in the national capital against the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Gyanesh Kumar. During the stir, more than 700 protestors were detained by Delhi Police.

The All India Students’ Association (AISA), Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) helmed the protests, with several activists and political leaders in attendance.

Calls for CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, the management of electoral rolls and the exercise of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) were raised during the protests. The Delhi Police had denied permission for the October 2 demonstration and had imposed restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in the New Delhi district.

Mumbai also sees protests

A still from the protests at Shivaji Park

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) also staged a demonstration on the same lines at the Shivaji Park in Mumbai. The outfit’s founder, Abhijeet Dipke, announced plans for an agitation at Jantar Mantar if Kumar does not step down from his post.