Delhi Police Says No Permission Sought For Rahul Gandhi's March From Connaught Place To Ramlila Maidan

New Delhi: Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Saturday called upon people to join a march in the national capital before reaching Ramlila Maidan for a scheduled mega rally by the INDI bloc on November 1.   

However, Delhi Police sources said no permission had been sought for a march starting from Connaught Place. 

In a post on X, Gandhi announced the route and timing of the walk. "See you tomorrow, let's walk together," he said. 

According to the post, the walk will begin at the Minto Road junction near Connaught Place at 12 noon on Sunday, proceed to Ajmeri Gate and end at Ramlila Maidan. 

Responding to the post, Delhi Police sources said no application had been made for a march from Connaught Place. They said Members of Parliament and political leaders were free to travel in their private vehicles to the Constitution Club, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence, or any other location of their choice. 

The sources also pointed out that Jantar Mantar, long the usual venue for protests in the capital, has already been de-notified as a designated protest site. They added that Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which restricts assembly and gatherings, is currently in force across the New Delhi area, including the vicinity of the Election Commission. 

Police said extensive security arrangements would be in place at Ramlila Maidan. Personnel from several Delhi Police districts, including the Central District, will be deployed along with paramilitary forces. 

Meanwhile, INDIA bloc leaders are scheduled to hold their public impeachment programme against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Saturday at 3.30 pm at 10, Rajaji Marg, the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. 

The programme was rescheduled after being postponed on Friday due to rain in the national capital. Rahul Gandhi announced the decision, saying it was taken by consensus to avoid inconvenience to senior leaders. 

Speaking to reporters in the national capital on Friday, Gandhi said, "By consensus, we have decided to postpone today's program (public impeachment programme against CEC) to tomorrow at the same time because of rain. We felt that it would be uncomfortable for seniors to sit in the rain, and we will hold the same program tomorrow," he said. 

He also invited political parties, civil society members, journalists and other citizens to participate in the INDIA bloc's November 1 march to Ramlila Maidan. 

"The day after, we have a march to Ramlila Maidan. All the opposition, everybody who wants to come: political, non-political, social, service people, civil society people, journalists. Both the programs are about the demolition of Indian democracy by Narendra Modi, by Amit Shah, by Gyanesh Kumar and his crew in the Election Commission," he said. 

Gandhi further alleged that the Union Home Minister was attempting to prevent people from travelling to Delhi to participate in the rally. 

"The Home Minister is trying his best to stop people from coming into Delhi, trying to ensure that our party members, common people who want to come from UP, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Telangana, Punjab, are being stopped. And they're trying their best..." Rahul Gandhi said.