India news: Gandhi vows to step up pressure on Modi at protest rally

Skip next section What you need to know

What you need to know

• Thousands attended the Rahul Gandhi-led INDIA bloc's rally against top poll official Gyanesh Kumar
• Authorities in Delhi collected more than €60,000 in fines during an anti-pollution drive
• Protests against Indian government's plan to build a massive dam in northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh have intensified

Here is a roundup of the biggest headlines from India on Monday, November 2.

Skip next section Rahul Gandhi steps up attacks on Modi, Shah at INDIA bloc rally

November 2, 2026

Rahul Gandhi steps up attacks on Modi, Shah at INDIA bloc rally

Leader of the opposition Indian National Congress (INC) party, Rahul Gandhi, dialed up the pressure against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah as thousands joined the INDIA bloc rally held at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, demanding India's election chief Gyanesh Kumar's resignation.

Addressing the crowd, Gandhi said, "Narendra Modi ji and Amit Shah ji, understand this: after Gyanesh Kumar, we will stand against you and don’t forget that for the vote chori (vote theft) you have done, there will be legal action against you and Narendra Modi."

Gandhi said the resignation of Kumar as the Chief Election Commission would be "the first step to getting the country on the right track."

Protesters accuse India's government of rigging voter rolls

He alleged that "without Gyanesh Kumar, Narendra Modi wouldn’t have become PM and Amit Shah wouldn’t be home minister."

The rally follows a series of protests in more than a month against Kumar and the controversial mass voter roll revision, which removed more than 130 million names from voter lists.

Opposition parties have alleged the exercise disproportionately affected Muslims and other minorities.

The rally was attended by several opposition leaders including senior INC leaders Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge along with leaders of regional parties such as Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, Mehbooba Mufti, and Tejashwi Yadav. 

Edited by:Elizabeth Schumacher

https://p.dw.com/p/5OwKA

Skip next section Welcome to our coverage

November 2, 2026

Welcome to our coverage

Hi! This is Midhat from DW's New Delhi bureau bringing you all that's creating a buzz in India.

The chill is slowly settling in Delhi's air, so is pollution and protest. It is that time of the year when the pleasant temperatures make going out in Delhi an absolute delight but the air quality keeps worsening with AQI already crossing the 400-mark.

It is also turning out to be a season of protest in Delhi. The opposition alliance INDIA bloc, building on the preceding protests, held a massive rally yesterday at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, demanding the resignation of election chief Gyanesh Kumar.

Leader of the opposition, Rahul Gandhi, has stepped up his pressure campaign against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led government and said after Kumar, the opposition will stand against PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

Stay tuned with us as we bring you all this and more from India.