New Delhi — Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's removal "to save democracy" and accused Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of shielding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, as leaders of the INDIA bloc held a mass rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan on Sunday, November 1, 2026, over alleged "vote chori" (vote theft). The allegations made at the rally remain unproven.
INDIA bloc leaders marched in open vehicles from the Minto Road-Connaught Place junction towards Ramlila Maidan for the rally, billed as "Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao" (Save the Vote, Save the Country), demanding the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar. Delhi Police deployed more than 10,000 personnel and imposed traffic curbs across central Delhi ahead of the gathering.
What Kharge Said
Addressing the rally, Kharge said: "Modi and Shah have attempted to snatch the vote of Dalits, youth and women. Modi ji wants to take away their votes through his man... We will keep fighting until he goes, and ensure his exit." Alleging that Modi and Shah were trying to protect Kumar, Kharge said that even "if the CEC hides underground, we will find him." He also described the Centre and the governments in Maharashtra, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh as "chori" governments, meaning governments formed on a stolen mandate. He urged supporters to stand together to remove Modi, protect the Constitution and strengthen democracy.
A separate remark by Kharge, widely reported as "Modi ka baap bhi jayega," triggered a political row, with opposition leaders hitting back at the criticism it drew. The specific wording and context of that remark had not been independently confirmed in the reporting reviewed for this article.
Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi told the rally that Gyanesh Kumar would be removed from his post and jailed. He also said: "We do not hate Narendra Modi, Amit Shah or Gyanesh Kumar. We will work with love, but we will not let you destroy the Constitution, no matter what happens." Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the INDIA bloc and its allies had united against those who had weakened democratic institutions, and accused the BJP of misusing the Election Commission.
Background: The "Vote Chori" Campaign
The rally is the latest escalation in a campaign the Congress began in August 2025, when Rahul Gandhi held his first press conference alleging "vote chori." The party subsequently collected signatures across the country and held a "Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod" rally at the same venue on December 14, 2025. Congress has accused the Election Commission of acting as a partisan player and has described the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as an exercise aimed at deleting targeted votes, an allegation the Commission has rejected. It has also described the Bihar results as "vote chori" on a "gigantic scale."
The Election Commission has maintained that its orders and decisions, including those relating to the SIR, were taken lawfully and unanimously by the full Commission, a position set out in its September 23, 2026 press note.
The Supreme Court upheld the Bihar SIR as constitutionally valid in a May 27, 2026 judgment, while stating that the Commission's authority is not unbounded. Separately, a petition seeking action against Gyanesh Kumar over SIR-related decisions, filed in the Supreme Court on September 25, 2026, has not been adjudicated, and a petition by Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA bloc leaders against the CEC was flagged by the Supreme Court registry for 14 procedural defects in October. No court has found evidence of systematic vote theft.
Ramlila Maidan has taken on added significance since October 11, 2026, when Delhi Police denotified Jantar Mantar as Delhi's designated protest site and named Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in East Delhi as the new designated venues for protests. That denotification is under challenge before the Delhi High Court. Sunday's rally, held at one of the newly designated venues, took place with police permission and a large security deployment, in contrast with the Cockroach Janta Party's October 10 protest, for which Delhi Police had denied permission and which resulted in mass detentions.
Legal and Constitutional Framework
The right to hold public rallies is protected under Article 19(1)(b) of the Constitution, which guarantees citizens the right to assemble peaceably and without arms, subject to reasonable restrictions under Article 19(3) in the interests of public order. Delhi Police regulates public gatherings in the capital under the Delhi Police Act, 1978, and standing orders designating protest venues, with permission required for large rallies.
The opposition's demand for the Chief Election Commissioner's removal engages Article 324(5) of the Constitution and Section 11 of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023. Under these provisions, the CEC enjoys protection equivalent to that of a Supreme Court judge and can be removed only in the manner and on the grounds applicable to such a judge, namely a removal motion that requires at least 100 Lok Sabha or 50 Rajya Sabha signatures, admission by the presiding officer, a three-member inquiry committee, and a special majority in both Houses.
Opposition notices for Kumar's removal submitted in both Houses on March 12, 2026, were not admitted by the presiding officers in April. Kharge's call for Kumar's exit through political pressure and Rahul Gandhi's statement that the CEC would be "jailed" are political statements, not steps within this constitutional process; no criminal case against Kumar has been registered, and the Supreme Court petition seeking his prosecution remains pending.
Kharge's call to "remove Modi" is, similarly, a political appeal to voters. Under India's constitutional framework, a Prime Minister continues in office so long as he commands the confidence of the Lok Sabha, and can be removed through a vote of no confidence or at a general election.
