Rahul Gandhi on FIR after Akashvani protest: 'My goal is 100 FIRs'
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday, 7 October turned an FIR filed against him into a political statement, saying he already has 45 cases against him and that his 'goal is to have 100 FIRs.' The remarks came after Delhi Police received a complaint against Gandhi, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and other INDIA bloc MPs for allegedly forcibly entering Akashvani Bhawan during a protest on Tuesday.
What Triggered the FIR
The complaint stems from a nine-hour-plus sit-in that Gandhi and INDIA bloc MPs staged at Akashvani Bhawan on Tuesday, demanding a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. Officials confirmed that Delhi Police received the complaint on Wednesday, alleging forcible entry into the premises.
Gandhi said approximately 300 MPs from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha had sought to meet the CEC on Tuesday but were turned away. 'The Delhi Police stopped us, and yesterday they said that we cannot protest there,' he told reporters before departing for Jantar Mantar.
Gandhi's Defiant Response
Speaking to reporters, Gandhi did not shy away from the escalating legal jeopardy. 'I have 45 FIRs against me. My goal is to have 100. I want 100 FIRs to be filed against me. Every FIR is a medal for me,' he said pointedly.
He also reiterated sharp remarks from a day earlier, alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, and CEC Gyanesh Kumar had collectively 'finished the country's democracy.' Gandhi called it 'treason' and demanded Kumar's resignation, saying: 'Gyanesh Kumar will have to resign.'
INDIA Bloc Moves Protest to Jantar Mantar
With access to Akashvani Bhawan blocked, the opposition coalition regrouped at the designated protest site at Jantar Mantar. A bus carrying Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and several INDIA bloc MPs made its way to the venue, with Congress MPs Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Deepender Singh Hooda, Imran Pratapgarhi, and Imran Masood climbing atop the bus.
Addressing reporters after a pre-protest lunch meeting hosted by Kharge at a restaurant in Janpath, the Congress President said: 'Today, we will hold a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar. Until our demands are met, we will continue to hold such protests.'
The Core Demand: Electoral Roll Revision
The agitation centres on what the INDIA bloc describes as alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls — a process the opposition argues is being mishandled under the current CEC. The bloc has been pressing for Kumar's removal, calling his tenure illegitimate.
This is the second consecutive day of direct action by the opposition grouping, marking one of the more confrontational moments between the ruling establishment and the opposition in recent months. How the government responds — including whether the FIR proceedings advance — will signal the political temperature heading into the coming weeks.