Rahul Gandhi urges nationwide participation in November 1 ‘Save Democracy’ march in Delhi

New Delhi, Oct 29 : Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has appealed to citizens, student organisations and people across political affiliations to participate in the November 1 ‘Chalo Delhi’ march at Ramlila Maidan, describing it as a collective movement to defend the Constitution, safeguard democracy and oppose alleged electoral malpractice.

In a video message posted on social media platform X on Thursday, Gandhi said the march was not an event organised by any single political party but a broader public movement to protect democratic institutions, constitutional values and freedom of expression.

“Chalo Delhi Ramlila March is a march to save democracy, to stop vote theft and to protect the Constitution. This is not a march of any one political party – this is a march for the soul of India,” he said, urging people concerned about the state of democracy to join the mobilisation.

Appealing to citizens dissatisfied with the functioning of the Narendra Modi government and the roles of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Gandhi called upon people to rise above political differences and unite in defence of democratic rights.

“There is only one protest – it is the protest of the country,” he said, emphasising that the November 1 demonstration should be seen as a collective expression of public concern rather than a partisan political gathering.

Gandhi also sought to allay concerns about possible police action, urging participants not to be deterred by the prospect of confrontation with the authorities. “Don't worry about the police, don't worry about lathis – the BJP will not have the guts to try any of their antics,” he said.

Making a special appeal to students, he urged student organisations across political affiliations to join the march if they believed their freedom of expression and right to voice their ideas and opinions were under threat.

“I urge all student groups, regardless of your political affiliation – if you feel that India is under attack, if you feel you are under attack, your expression, your ideas, your way of thinking is under attack, come and join us,” he said.

Describing the mobilisation as an effort to safeguard the country's future, Gandhi called on citizens to march together in defence of the Constitution and the nation.

The Congress has intensified its campaign against what it terms ‘vote theft’, making electoral integrity and the independence of constitutional institutions central to its political confrontation with the BJP-led government.

The party has repeatedly questioned the Election Commission's handling of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that the exercise could result in the deletion of eligible voters and undermine their democratic right to vote. The BJP and the Election Commission have rejected or disputed the Opposition's allegations.

The November 1 march comes amid a series of Opposition protests and political interventions over the SIR exercise and the Election Commission's role in revising electoral rolls. The Congress and other Opposition parties have demanded stronger safeguards against the exclusion of legitimate voters while raising concerns over the transparency and fairness of the process.

By reaching out to students, civil society groups and citizens beyond its traditional support base, Gandhi is seeking to broaden the mobilisation and project it as an issue extending beyond party politics to encompass electoral transparency, democratic accountability and constitutional freedoms.

The Congress has announced that the ‘Chalo Delhi’ march will be held at Ramlila Maidan on November 1, with the stated objectives of defending democracy, protecting the Constitution and opposing alleged electoral malpractice.

Expressing confidence in the proposed mobilisation, Gandhi urged people to participate in large numbers, describing it as “a march for the soul of this country”.