Rahul Gandhi told the youth to "keep protesting" on Saturday, declaring that the current regime and those who have "attacked the Constitution" will face defeat. He issued this warning from the backdrop of the Cockroach Janta Party’s demonstration against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, a confrontation that rapidly escalated into a mass detention event.
The Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition identified "cowardice" as the core trait of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the RSS. He named five specific figures—Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, CEC Gyanesh Kumar, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval—claiming the "space is closing" around them. "I’ve been fighting Narendra Modi and the RSS for over a decade now," Gandhi wrote on X. "I understand them like you would understand your opponent — inside out, like the back of my hand."
Gandhi’s rhetoric turned confrontational as he directly addressed the Prime Minister. "Call out all the police: 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, whatever you want," he stated. "Arrest all the leaders. Arrest all the young people. Arrest us all. We are surrounding you, and we are not going to back down." He insisted the opposition already possesses the necessary information to defend the Constitution and protect the voice of the Indian people.
On the ground, the situation remained tense. Delhi Police detained more than 3,000 protesters attempting to reach Jantar Mantar. Authorities also held over 600 individuals with prior criminal records as a preventive measure. Police cited the lack of permission and active prohibitory orders in the New Delhi area to justify the crackdown.
The coming days will test the resolve of both the opposition and the enforcement agencies. As the CEC controversy deepens, the political stakes have shifted from administrative debate to a direct challenge of constitutional integrity, setting the stage for further legal and street-level confrontations in the capital.