‘Net is closing’ around PM Modi, Shah and Gyanesh Kumar: Rahul Gandhi after high tea meet with INDIA bloc leaders

A day after the INDIA bloc's "Chalo Dilli" march to the Supreme Court, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar that "the net is closing around them", as he vowed to challenge restrictions on protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar and continue what he described as the opposition's fight to restore democracy.

Addressing a joint press conference after a high tea meeting with INDIA bloc leaders, the Congress leader said the government could not prevent people from raising their voices and warned that the opposition's campaign would continue.

"The one method of expression of democracy was Jantar Mantar, and now the government has decided that Jantar Mantar can no longer be used to express democratic feelings. We are going to challenge that idea," Gandhi said.

"It is not going to be so simple for the government to decide that the Indian people will not fight for their voice," he added.

Targeting PM Modi, Shah and Gyanesh Kumar, Gandhi alleged that those responsible for the decision would face continued opposition.

"The people who have done this, Mr Modi, who is the main architect, Mr Amit Shah, who is the implementer, Mr Gyanesh Kumar, and others, they need to understand that the net is closing around them," he said.

'One singular protest' to restore democracy

Gandhi stressed that opposition parties were united in their campaign, rejecting the idea that separate protests were taking place. He alleged that democracy and the electoral system had been undermined and called for the restoration of democratic rule.

"We are all standing here together as one. As I said yesterday, there are no parallel protests. There is one singular protest, and the protest has one mission: restoration of democracy in India," he said.

"Democracy has been destroyed in this country. The election system has been destroyed. The Constitution has been torn up and thrown away. We are fighting together to restore democratic rule, genuine democratic rule in this country," Gandhi added.

The Congress leader also said the opposition would continue its campaign regardless of the role played by judicial or other institutions.

"We have immense respect for the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice of India, and the Indian judicial system; they have a role to play, and we hope they will play it," Gandhi said.

"However, we are political people; no matter what happens, or which institution plays a role or doesn't, political resistance will continue, people's resistance will continue, and it will triumph," he added.

Also Read: L Murugan resigns as Union Minister, expresses wish to return to grassroots

Rahul Gandhi promises sustained opposition campaign

Gandhi reiterated that the opposition would not abandon its campaign, invoking the word "perseverance" to describe its approach and promising to continue the fight until it achieved its objective.

"I used the word 'perseverance' at the press conference yesterday—that this team of ours is not going to stop," he said.

He added that the campaign could continue for months or years, without specifying the next steps.

"Sooner or later—whether tomorrow, the day after, in three months, six months, a year, or two years—it will not stop. It will reach the end goal," Gandhi said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Gandhi said he had invited INDIA bloc leaders, opposition MPs, student organisations and civil society members to his residence for tea before addressing the media together.

"Today I have invited the leaders of the INDIA alliance, opposition MPs, student organisations, and civil society comrades to my home for tea. In this people's movement to protect democracy, we are all together - and this movement will continue relentlessly," Gandhi in a post on X.

The meeting was attended by Key opposition leaders, including Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and KC Venugopal. RJD leaders Tejashwi Yadav and Manoj Jha, TMC MP Mahua Moitra, JMM leader Mahua Maji, and Samajwadi Party leaders Harendra Malik and Iqra Hasan were also present, along with CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby and AISA president Neha Bora.