BY SANJEEB KUMAR SAHOO
As I have written stories and tweeted about the political developments that took place in New Delhi on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, the time has now come to focus on Friday, October 9, as the day is once again dedicated to the INDIA bloc leaders and Rahul Gandhi. The Supreme Court, and Rashtrapati Bhavan were also key topics of discussion on October 9.
But first, I would like to explain the role and responsibilities of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, whom I have always referred to as India’s Opposition Leader.
The Leader of the Opposition is an important figure in parliamentary proceedings, providing the necessary checks and balances on the ruling government. The Leader of the Opposition ensures that different points of view are taken into account and that alternative viewpoints are represented.
The Leader of the Opposition is frequently referred to as the “Shadow Prime Minister” and leads a shadow Cabinet, comprising opposition members who mirror the roles of the government’s Cabinet. This shadow Cabinet is prepared to take over the administration if the government falls.
According to an official government document, the Leader of the Opposition must carefully weigh his words and actions and act with the same level of responsibility as the Prime Minister on matters of national interest. If the Leader of the Opposition believes that the “government is trying to slide over an important issue and shun parliamentary criticism,” he or she has the right to demand a debate on it.
The Leader of the Opposition’s primary responsibility is to represent the opposition in the House. According to a 2012 official booklet on Parliament, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha “is considered as a shadow Prime Minister with a shadow Cabinet, ready to take over the administration if the Government resigns or is defeated on the floor of the House”.
According to the document, the Leader of the Opposition may strongly criticise the government on the floor of the House. The Leader of the Opposition is also regarded as the official spokesperson for the minority or minorities. He must demand justice and take appropriate action if their rights are violated.
Shadow Prime Minister Meets President at 8 p.m.
Well, attention, ladies and gentlemen! It is time to explain what happened on October 9.It was around 7:15 p.m. when I reached Vijay Chowk in New Delhi to see what was happening. The INDIA bloc of opposition parties, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu at 8 p.m. that evening to brief her and submit a representation regarding the functioning of the Election Commission under Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
When I reached Vijay Chowk, all the beat reporters covering the BJP, Congress, other political parties, and various ministries were present and waiting for the INDIA bloc leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, to arrive.
Before 8 p.m., the INDIA bloc leaders arrived near Vijay Chowk. Anyone travelling from the Parliament building to Rashtrapati Bhavan has to cross Vijay Chowk, which lies between the North Block and South Block. The main gates of Rashtrapati Bhavan are situated straight ahead at the top of the hill.
However, only a few INDIA bloc leaders were allowed to meet President Droupadi Murmu. They included Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge; Rahul Gandhi; All India Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee; Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah; NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule; CPI(M) general secretary M. A. Baby; RJD Rajya Sabha member Professor Manoj Kumar Jha; CPI general secretary D. Raja; Samajwadi Party MP Rajeev Rai; and VCK president and MP Dr Thirumaavalavan Tholkappiyan.
On behalf of the INDIA bloc, the delegation that was allowed to meet President Droupadi Murmu urged her to exercise her powers to seek the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, suspend the SIR process, and repeal the results of all Assembly elections held over the previous two years.
But before meeting the President, all INDIA bloc leaders had gathered at 5 p.m. on October 9, 2026, in the Central Hall of Parliament, now known as Samvidhan Sadan. The building was officially renamed Samvidhan Sadan in September 2023.
When the delegation of INDIA bloc MPs led by Rahul Gandhi went to meet President Droupadi Murmu, the other INDIA bloc leaders who were not part of the delegation remained at Vijay Chowk. They staged a sit-in protest in New Delhi, raising slogans against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Narendra Modi government. The slogans continued until the delegation returned from Rashtrapati Bhavan after its meeting with the President Droupadi Murmu.
When the delegation of INDIA bloc MPs led by Rahul Gandhi returned from Rashtrapati Bhavan at around 8:40 p.m., Rahul Gandhi surprised us (journalists) with his statement. He said he was “shocked” that the President had accepted the Opposition’s allegations of *vote chori* rather than denying them.
After the meeting with the President Droupadi Murmu, Rahul Gandhi said, “I expected the President to deny that ‘vote chori’ is taking place; I was shocked, stunned that she accepted what we said. We will go to the Supreme Court on Monday to meet the Chief Justice of India and hand over a memorandum to him.”
Rahul Gandhi also posted the following statement on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter:
“I just sat in quite an unbelievable meeting with the President of India. We presented our memorandum to her outlining PM Modi and HM Amit Shah’s gross subversion of India’s electoral system and seeking CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. I was shocked that the President did not deny Vote Chori. Instead, she asked us to bring her proof. We will bring her a mountain of it. The INDIA bloc will gladly submit every piece of evidence before her. We welcome her assurance that she will examine the matter and take action,” Rahul Gandhi said.
SCI Reminds Government of “Principle of Proportionality
Besides October 9 being dominated by discussions about the political climate throughout the day, the date will also be remembered for the Supreme Court of India’s (SCI’s) remarks on the Government of India.
Expressing concern over the closure of 57 metro stations in the national capital, New Delhi, and the cancellation of several Delhi-bound trains as part of security measures ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party’s October 10 protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the Supreme Court on October 9 reminded the authorities of the “principle of proportionality.”
The top Court observed that while the authorities were entitled to take necessary security measures, “it does not mean that you will use a hammer to kill a fly.” By the way, the responsibility for law and order in Delhi falls under the jurisdiction of the Government of India through the Ministry of Home Affairs, rather than the Delhi state government.
The bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana directed the government to ensure that there was “no complete prohibition on the movement of Metro trains” and that “no inconvenience is caused to the citizenry of Delhi.”
Addressing Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, the Chief Justice of India said, “One celebrated principle that you follow for every such thing is the principle of proportionality. If you have to avoid certain things, do it only to the extent necessary to ensure that you are avoiding them. But it does not mean that you will use a hammer to kill a fly.”
Tushar Mehta said, “I will consult the government, and this can be, depending upon the situation, periodically monitored and changed… It will be regulated depending on how the situation develops.”
The bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant stated in its order, “It appears that the notifications are overreaching as they impose a complete ban upon essential public transportation. Upon our indication that a distinction exists between total ‘prohibition’ and the ‘regulation’ of Metro and other train movements, the learned Solicitor General of India has fairly agreed to impress upon the authorities to reassess such prohibitions. Consequently, they will permit the operation of Metro trains and other rail services in such a regulated manner that no inconvenience is caused to the residents and general public of Delhi while adhering to the principles of proportionality.”
The bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant directed that “a traffic advisory… be published in newspapers and on online platforms to ensure the smooth movement of vehicles and that no hardship or inconvenience is caused to the public while travelling within the city.”
The bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant was hearing a petition filed by a group of lawyers, including Senior Advocates Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, N. Hariharan, Gopal Sankaranarayanan, and Nithya Ramakrishnan, as well as Advocates Prashant Bhushan and Vrinda Grover. They had approached the Court to challenge the denial of police permission for the protest scheduled to be held at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, as well as the security arrangements put in place in connection with it.
Dinner with Bhaiyas at Vijay Chowk
Now, I would like to conclude by sharing that, while returning from Vijay Chowk, my friend and I had dinner with some labourers who had been assigned to work on a small event just 50 metres from Vijay Chowk.
As my friend and I were passing behind Vijay Chowk, we came across some daily-wage workers having dinner after a long day of work on an event. The event had been cancelled for some reason, but when I asked them why, they said they did not know the reason.
Interestingly, my friend and I were also feeling hungry and thirsty, as we had eaten lunch at around 2 p.m. and it was now past 9 p.m.
I therefore said to my friend, “Abe, poochh na in bhaiya log se, kuch khane ko hai kya unke paas? Kyunki agar inke paas khana hoga, toh zaroor denge. Aur agar extra khana nahi bhi hoga, toh bhi woh log apne hisse mein se humein khana denge, kyunki hum in logon ka dukh samajhte hain. Yeh ameer logon ki tarah nahi hain, jo doosron ka dukh nahi samajhte.”
(“Hey, ask them if they have anything to eat. If they have extra food, they will surely share it with us. Even if they do not have any extra food, they will share what they have with us because they understand others’ hardships. They are not like rich people who fail to understand the suffering of others. ”)
My friend then asked the daily-wage workers whether they had any food to spare. They happily replied, “Haan, sir, hai extra khana” (“Yes, sir, we have extra food”).
When we joined them for dinner, they welcomed us warmly and served us food and water with great joy. We sat together and shared the meal.
During our conversation, I asked them where they were from. They replied, “Sir, hum log Bihar se hain” (Sir, we are from Bihar).I also asked them, “Modi Sarkar ko jana chahiye ki nahi?” (Should the Modi government go or not?)
They replied, “Sir, bilkul jana chahiye. Yeh sarkar garibon aur budhon ki nahi sunti. Khali Ambani aur Adani ka sunti hai. Yeh amiron ki sarkar hai.” (Sir, it should definitely go. This government does not listen to the poor or the elderly. It only listens to Ambani and Adani. This is a government of the rich.)
