Live: CJP Tiranga March under tight Delhi Police vigil; curbs in place after High Court allows protest

October 10 witnessed an intense display of state-led enforcement in the national capital. Severe force was used against media personnel, student groups, civil rights activists, and ordinary citizens gathering at Jantar Mantar to seek Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. On October 10, the national capital saw harsh administrative pushback against demonstrators. Heavy-handed tactics targeted reporters, scholars, activists, and members of the public who assembled at Jantar Mantar demanding the stepping down of Gyanesh Kumar. Opposition parties across India have closed ranks around the demand that Gyanesh Kumar resign and the SIR process be set aside. While authorities retaliated by striking Jantar Mantar off the list of designated demonstration venues, the Congress pledged to reclaim the historic spot. Today, the broader political campaign of the opposition centers on safeguarding Indian democracy and shielding the Constitution by defending the voting entitlements of ordinary citizens. The coalition has affirmed its strategy to maintain this agitation until their objectives are met. This scenario prompts critical queries: is the SIR controversy deeply engaging the wider electorate? Can anyone be certain that present agitators will refrain from backing the BJP during upcoming elections despite their discontent? Should these swelling crowds be viewed as an obstacle to the Hindutva project? Or is the BJP-RSS framework resilient enough to absorb widespread dissent? Joining this analysis is Ajay Gudavarthy, Associate Professor of Political Science at JNU's Centre for Political Studies.