Anti-CEC protests LIVE: Supreme Court registry points out 10 defects in Rahul Gandhi's plea in SIR case
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has compared ongoing protests against alleged election irregularities to Lord Shiva's 'tandav' as tensions escalate over the de-notification of Jantar Mantar as a protest site. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has flagged procedural defects in the Opposition's plea regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and clarified its stance on related electoral forms.
Why it matters
The conflict highlights a deepening institutional crisis between the Indian Opposition, the Election Commission, and the judiciary, centered on the integrity of the electoral process and the fundamental right to protest in the national capital.
The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Monday (October 12, 2026) compared the repeated protests by the Opposition against alleged “vote chori “ (theft) to Lord Shiva’s tandav (cosmic dance), while claiming that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar had sent him messages.
“This is tandav , Lord Shiva’s dance. There is no planning here,” Mr. Gandhi said in response to a question on the Opposition’s future strategy on the issue, adding, “There is no need for a plan. A dance is going on, Lord Shiva’s dance. And anyone can join Shivji ki baraat (the wedding procession of Lord Shiva).”
Rahul Gandhi equates Opposition protests to Lord Shiva’s tandav, calls for CEC’s ouster while alleging 200 Modi-era officers feed information.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in