Rahul Gandhi calls INDIA bloc tea meet to protect democracy

Rahul Gandhi has invited INDIA bloc leaders, opposition MPs, student groups and civil society members for a tea meeting and joint media address. The outreach signals a wider opposition effort to coordinate protests over alleged poll irregularities and defend democratic institutions.Image used for representational purposes onlyNewdelhi,Oct 13, 2026 14:08 ISTLeader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said he had invited leaders of the INDIA bloc, opposition MPs, student organisations and civil society "comrades" to his home for tea, saying "we are all together" in what he called a people's movement to protect democracy.Gandhi said the meeting would be followed by a joint interaction with the media. Sources said the gathering was also expected to discuss a strategy for joint protests against alleged "vote chori" and to press for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.In a post in Hindi on X, the former Congress chief said, "Today I have invited the leaders of the INDIA alliance, opposition MPs, student organisations, and civil society comrades to my home for tea. In this people's movement to protect democracy, we are all together - and this movement will continue relentlessly.""After tea, we will all come together and present our case in front of the media. All protests are one," Gandhi said. The meeting comes a day after protests over the "vote theft" charge reached the Supreme Court. Opposition leaders, along with activists and civil society members, held a "March for Democracy" on a heavily barricaded route and filed a joint petition against SIR and alleged poll irregularities in a major show of strength in the national capital. The opposition has been demanding the CEC's resignation over the alleged SIR irregularities.A large crowd carrying flags and posters gathered in central Delhi's Connaught Place. Among those who joined the march were Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Leaders of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, CPI's D Raja, CPI-M leader M A Baby, RJD's Tejashwi Yadav and NCP-SCP leader Supriya Sule. Protesters breached one barricade at Bhagwan Dass Road but were stopped at a second barricade on the same road. Later, top INDIA bloc leaders went to the Supreme Court to file their petition.The petition has made the Election Commission of India, the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi parties in the case. The development came after the Chief Justice of India declined a request for a meeting with the Leaders of Opposition on the issue, saying the matter is sub judice. The day after that show of strength, Gandhi said opposition leaders, MPs, student groups and civil society members would meet again and jointly put their case before the media.- Ends