New Delhi | October 2026 : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has appealed to citizens to gather at Jantar Mantar on Friday, October 2, to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing him of working in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and undermining democratic rights. A large number of young people and representatives of various organisations are expected to participate in the protest.
Senior AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia alleged that Gyanesh Kumar had been tasked by the BJP with deleting voters’ names and facilitating “vote theft” across the country. He said citizens’ right to vote was being taken away and warned that other rights could also come under threat.
Sisodia urged people to reach Jantar Mantar on October 2 to demand Kumar’s resignation. He accused the Chief Election Commissioner of disregarding the Constitution and the law, adding that the sacrifices of Bhagat Singh and Mahatma Gandhi and the vision of Dr B.R. Ambedkar should not be allowed to go in vain.
He alleged that if authoritarianism continued unchecked, other freedoms could also be threatened. “Today, our voting rights are being taken away. If this continues, other rights may also be taken away,” he said.
Major Conspiracy in the Name of SIR: Sanjay Singh
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise had resulted in the deletion of 13.37 crore names from electoral rolls across the country.
He claimed that the deletions were part of a conspiracy by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP and Gyanesh Kumar to influence elections. Singh alleged that the electoral process had become centralised, allowing voter names to be added or removed arbitrarily, including under the category of “logical discrepancies”.
Singh said questions about alleged vote manipulation were being raised not only by opposition parties but also by election commissioners. He claimed that neither the BJP nor the Chief Election Commissioner had adequately addressed these concerns.
Appealing to citizens to participate in the protest on Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, Singh urged them to defend democracy and protect their voting rights.
Reach Jantar Mantar to Save the Country: Saurabh Bharadwaj
AAP’s Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharadwaj said Gen-Z youth and several organisations were expected to participate in the October 2 demonstration at Jantar Mantar.
He argued that governments generally work for public welfare because they fear being voted out if they fail to deliver. However, he alleged that if a political party believes electoral irregularities can ensure its continued hold on power, accountability suffers.
Bharadwaj cited several issues, including women’s safety, corruption, collapsing roads and bridges, alleged irregularities in public procurement, loan waivers for large industrialists, farmers’ distress and unemployment. He also alleged that young people demanding jobs faced police action and that those questioning ministers were sometimes subjected to violence.
He called for a peaceful protest and cautioned participants against attempts to provoke violence or disorder. Bharadwaj alleged that disruptive elements could be sent into crowds to create disturbances and urged protesters to identify such individuals and hand them over to uniformed police personnel.
He said maintaining peace was essential for the movement to continue and appealed to citizens to gather at Jantar Mantar on October 2.
AAP senior leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Atishi, said the right to vote was among the most important rights gained after India’s independence in 1947. It enabled citizens to choose their representatives and determine who would form the government.
Atishi alleged that the BJP was attempting to undermine this right through the Chief Election Commissioner. She said any threat to voting rights amounted to a threat to democracy and urged citizens to reach Jantar Mantar at 10 a.m. on October 2.
Gyanesh Kumar Has Undermined Democracy: Ankush Narang
MCD Leader of the Opposition Ankush Narang alleged that democracy was being undermined in the country and questioned the impartiality of the Election Commission.
He claimed that if the poll body functioned in accordance with the interests of the ruling BJP, elections could not be conducted democratically. Narang said the protest was being organised to defend democracy and demand the Chief Election Commissioner’s resignation.
He appealed to citizens to join the demonstration at Jantar Mantar at 10 a.m. on October 2, stressing that the protest would be peaceful and focused on safeguarding India’s democratic system.
The AAP leaders reiterated their appeal for public participation, saying the demonstration was intended to raise concerns over electoral processes and protect citizens’ voting rights.
