Fresh FIRs against Rahul and Priyanka as anti-CEC protests widen to Bengaluru

Fresh criminal cases were registered against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in New Delhi on Thursday, even as demonstrations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar expanded geographically with a public tribunal meeting in Bengaluru.

The simultaneous developments mark a sharp escalation in the political confrontation between opposition parties and election authorities regarding the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. While demonstrations in the national capital have led to heavy detentions and multiple police cases over the past three days, civil society groups and digital commentators have taken the agitation to southern India.

In Bengaluru, Freedom Park hosted a public forum where digital creator Dhruv Rathee and Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke joined actor and activist Prakash Raj to address attendees. Speakers at the gathering demanded the complete withdrawal of the voter list revision process and called for the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Student organisations, including AISA, alongside various citizen collectives participated in the event to voice objections against procedural modifications in voter registrations.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police filed multiple First Information Reports against prominent opposition figures following days of street confrontations. Law enforcement authorities stated that the latest cases invoke sections relating to the obstruction of public servants from discharging official duties, unlawful assembly, and alleged physical scuffles during street marches. Police sources reported that at least four FIRs have been lodged against various opposition leaders connected to the demonstrations near central Delhi.

The political fallout follows consecutive days of friction where opposition parliamentarians attempted to march toward election offices and government buildings. Authorities detained scores of demonstrators, including senior political figures, during the initial phases of the sit-ins. On Thursday, opposition members shifted their assembly to Mahatma Gandhi's memorial at Rajghat for a silent protest, avoiding direct confrontations after earlier police blockades.

Congress representatives and allied parties have maintained that the electoral roll revisions contain systemic flaws designed to disenfranchise specific voter segments. In response to the police actions and filing of charges, local party units staged secondary demonstrations across several states to record their opposition.

Organisers of the Bengaluru tribunal announced plans to carry the civil campaign forward with a planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Concurrently, INDIA bloc leaders indicated that parliamentary delegates intend to proceed with a march toward Rashtrapati Bhavan to press their demands for institutional accountability.