Oppn to meet CJI Monday; Kharge accuses Modi, Shah of creating fear ahead of youth agitation
Synopsis
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has announced the opposition will meet the Chief Justice of India on Monday, citing the deployment of over 32,000 police and 7,500 CRPF personnel ahead of a youth agitation as evidence of a government-engineered climate of fear — and drawing a stark comparison with the Emergency era, which he says was less repressive.
Key Takeaways
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge announced on 11 October 2026 that opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi , will meet the Chief Justice of India on Monday between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Kharge alleged that PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were creating an atmosphere of chaos ahead of a planned youth agitation.
Nearly 32,000 police personnel and 7,500 CRPF troops were reportedly deployed the previous day, according to Kharge.
Kharge compared the current situation unfavourably to the Emergency era , claiming trains, flights, and movement were not disrupted even then.
Kharge alleged the 2023 Act gave the Chief Election Commissioner an immunity not available to the President or the Chief Justice of India.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday, 11 October 2026 announced that opposition leaders would meet the Chief Justice of India (CJI) on Monday to raise concerns over what he described as a government-orchestrated atmosphere of fear ahead of a planned youth agitation. Kharge alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were driving chaos across the country.
The CJI Meeting
Kharge confirmed he had written a letter seeking an appointment with the CJI, and that Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had done the same. The opposition has requested a meeting between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Monday.
'Tomorrow, we are also going to meet the Chief Justice of India. I have written a letter, and Rahul has also written a letter. We have sought a time between 4 and 5 (p.m). Now, let us see. We will also apprise him. We cannot demand anything from him. We will only request him with folded hands. These are the things that should be kept in mind,' Kharge said.
Security Deployment and Atmosphere of Fear
Kharge questioned the scale of security mobilisation ahead of the announced youth agitation, calling it a sign of the government's own anxiety. He alleged that nearly 32,000 police personnel and approximately 7,500 CRPF troops were deployed the previous day.
'In the country, chaos is being created by the Prime Minister and Home Minister. Nearly 32,000 policemen and nearly 7,500 CRF were deployed yesterday, which itself shows how much fear he has got because of the announced youth agitation,' Kharge said.
Emergency Comparison
The Congress president drew a sharp historical contrast, comparing the current situation unfavourably to the Emergency era. He recalled serving as Education Minister of Karnataka under Chief Minister D. Devaraj Urs during that period, arguing that even then, trains and flights were not stopped and citizens were not arbitrarily detained.
'Yesterday also, youths were agitating, but even during the Emergency, such things did not happen. During the Emergency, we were all ministers. No trains were stopped, no flights were stopped, nothing. People used to move freely,' he said. He added that Devaraj Urs had refused to arrest citizens without legal grounds, even when some reportedly requested it.
Attack on Election Commission and 2023 Law
Kharge also targeted the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), alleging that the government had introduced the 2023 Act specifically to shield the Election Commission's leadership from legal accountability — a protection he claimed was not even extended to the President of India or the Chief Justice of India.
'PM Modi brought the 2023 Act to protect the Chief Election Commissioner and members. That immunity he gave. That immunity is not even for the President of India, not the Chief Justice, but that is given to one Election Commissioner,' he said. The remarks come amid the Indian National Congress (INC)'s continuing allegations of electoral irregularities and its criticism of the government's handling of public protests.
What to Watch
The opposition delegation's meeting with the CJI on Monday will be closely tracked for any institutional response or acknowledgement. Whether the CJI grants the meeting and what, if any, action follows will be a significant signal of the judiciary's stance amid a charged political climate.
Point of View
A signal that the Congress and its allies believe political and administrative channels are no longer sufficient to address their grievances. Kharge's Emergency comparison is rhetorically loaded but strategically calculated — it invokes a constitutional trauma that still resonates with a generation of voters and frames the current government as structurally authoritarian. The allegation about the 2023 Election Commission Act is the sharpest substantive charge: if true that the CEC enjoys protections not afforded to the President or CJI, that is a constitutional asymmetry worth scrutiny. What mainstream coverage underplays is the institutional implication — an opposition collectively approaching the judiciary over executive conduct is rare, and its outcome, or even the CJI's response, will set a precedent for how such grievances are handled.
NationPress
11 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the opposition meeting the Chief Justice of India?
The opposition, led by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, plans to meet the CJI on Monday to raise concerns about what they allege is a government-created atmosphere of fear ahead of a youth agitation. They have requested a meeting between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.
What security deployment did Kharge flag?
Kharge alleged that nearly 32,000 police personnel and approximately 7,500 CRPF troops were deployed ahead of the announced youth agitation, which he cited as evidence of the government's fear of public protests.
How did Kharge compare the situation to the Emergency?
Kharge said that even during the Emergency — when he served as Karnataka's Education Minister under Chief Minister D. Devaraj Urs — trains and flights were not stopped and citizens were not arbitrarily arrested. He argued that the current situation is more repressive than that era.
What is Kharge's allegation about the 2023 Election Commission Act?
Kharge alleged that PM Modi introduced the 2023 Act to provide the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commission members with a legal immunity that is not available to the President of India or the Chief Justice of India, calling it a shield against accountability.
What is the broader context of these remarks?
The remarks come amid the Congress's ongoing allegations of electoral irregularities and its criticism of the government's response to public protests. The planned youth agitation and the scale of security mobilisation have sharpened the political confrontation between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition.
