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Rahul Gandhi calls Modi and senior establishment figures ‘cowards’ amid the Delhi protest crackdown.
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Congress leader backs young protesters and vows to defend the Constitution.
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Police detained several Opposition leaders and activists during protests over SIR and demands for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Saturday, 10 October accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior figures in the ruling establishment of cowardice, vowing to intensify the fight against what he described as attacks on the Constitution, amid a police crackdown on protests in Delhi against chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
In a video post on X, Gandhi — in Chennai for a ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ event — named Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Gyanesh Kumar and national security adviser Ajit Doval as the “villains of this story”, claiming that the space around them was “slowly closing”.
“The core characteristic of these people is cowardice,” he said, adding that the Opposition was closing in on those it held responsible for undermining democratic institutions.
Gandhi’s remarks came as Delhi Police detained Opposition leaders and activists during demonstrations linked to the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)’s call for a protest against the Election Commission of India (ECI). The agitation centres on allegations of irregularities in the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demands Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
I’ve been fighting Narendra Modi and the RSS for over a decade now. I understand them like you would understand your opponent – inside out, like the back of my hand.
The core characteristic of these people is cowardice.
Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Mohan Bhagwat, Gyanesh Kumar and… pic.twitter.com/pWgb7y8pbA
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 10, 2026
As per media reports, around 2,000 people had been detained across the capital, with many picked up before they could reach the planned protest venue at Jantar Mantar, though no official data has yet been released.
Addressing Modi directly, Gandhi challenged the government to deploy more police or arrest the protesters, saying neither action would deter the movement. “Arrest all the leaders. Arrest all the young people. Arrest us all,” he said, insisting that the Opposition would not back down.
Gandhi also claimed that the protesters already possessed information needed to pursue their campaign, though he did not specify what that information was or provide details to substantiate the claim. “We are going to defend our Constitution. We are going to protect the voice of the Indian people,” he said, promising to fight to ensure that what he alleged had been done to the country over the past 10–15 years was never repeated.
He praised the young protesters and urged them to continue their demonstrations, assuring them of the Congress’s support. “Youth of India, I am proud of you. Keep protesting. We are standing with you,” Gandhi said.
The statement adds to the Opposition’s sustained campaign against Gyanesh Kumar and the SIR exercise. The Congress leader has repeatedly accused the government and the poll body of undermining electoral integrity, while the Election Commission has defended the revision process.
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