Opposition leaders and citizens protest in Delhi streets to protect voting rights

Protesters from opposition parties and civil rights groups gathered on the streets of New Delhi to fight for voting rights. With Jantar Mantar closed, the surrounding streets turned into open protest spots over the past few days.

The Protest Journey

INDIA bloc leaders held a meeting at the Constitution Club before heading out in four buses at around two o'clock. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, Priyanka Gandhi, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, AISA National President Neha, and SFI National Joint Secretary Aishe Ghosh were on the buses. Security forces lined Raisina Road near Parliament Circle but allowed the movement without clashes. Thousands of people joined the procession by the time the buses reached Barakhamba. Crowds filled both sides of the four-kilometre stretch from Connaught Place to the Supreme Court.

Leaders Join the March

Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav joined the group when the buses reached Mandi House. Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and AISA National President Neha started walking on foot, which energized the crowd. They walked for about a kilometre before moving onto an open truck with other leaders.

Leaders on the Truck

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, CPI(M) General Secretary M.A. Baby, MPs Shashi Tharoor and V. Sivadasan, CPI leaders D. Raja, Annie Raja, and P. Santhosh Kumar, Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Roy, and Forward Bloc General Secretary G. Devarajan were also on the truck.

Context

Mass political rallies and street protests are common methods used by opposition parties in India to draw public attention to policy demands and civil rights issues. These demonstrations bring together regional and national leaders to present a united front on key political questions.