India

Thousands Overcome Travel Hurdles to Attend INDIA Bloc Rally in Delhi

By Sobhana K. Nair, Lavpreet Kaur

Thousands of people from across India arrived at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi for the INDIA bloc rally on Sunday, overcoming travel obstacles such as cancelled train services and restrictions on bulk reservations. Some travelled nearly 48 hours in sleeper buses, while others booked rail tickets from multiple stations. One attendee walked in from a hospital ward. The rally drew participants with varied motivations: some sought to protest being struck off electoral rolls, others made their first visit to the capital, and some viewed the event as a political pilgrimage for change. The crowd spilled beyond the venue, with many still heading toward the grounds after the rally ended. Tejender, an IT employee from Gurugram, said he attended “for a better future for our children” and listed grievances ranging from education and healthcare to alleged vote theft. Sheikh Abdul Rafiq from Adilabad, Telangana, claimed that 15,000 people from his state attended despite travel restrictions, and he said the group spent their own money on sleeper buses. Abdul Kaleem from Suryapet district, Telangana, said he was there to flag injustice after nearly 80% of his village lost votes during the special intensive revision of electoral rolls. Zubair from Mominpura, Nagpur, Maharashtra, echoed the sentiment, hoping the protest might achieve what local efforts could not. Ram Kumar from Giridih, Jharkhand, who was visiting Delhi for the first time, described the rally as a carnival and looked forward to exploring the capital by metro. Anil Shukla, a Congress functionary from Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, travelled with about 300 others and said the campaign against the SIR was less compelling than the potential revival of Congress in his state. Azka, a Delhi‑based cafe owner who had been hospitalized with typhoid, attended the protest despite her health and her mother’s advice against it. Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal posted on X that authorities had tried to prevent supporters from entering Delhi, alleging the use of fake news and suppression tactics. Despite these challenges, thousands reached the rally, demonstrating their determination to voice their concerns.