Overview
- The BJP will hold the Chandni Chowk march on Wednesday, Oct. 28, led by national president Nitin Nabin with senior party leaders expected to join.
- Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra said the event will be peaceful and disciplined and accused the Congress and AAP of hypocrisy for opposing a short, symbolic march.
- Organisers and media reported heavy security for the roughly one-kilometre route and an expected turnout of about 15,000 participants including MPs and Union ministers.
- The march is framed as a direct counter to the INDIA bloc’s planned Nov. 1 Ramlila Maidan rally and kicks off a BJP plan for synchronized padyatras across the country starting in November.
- The protests flow from Opposition objections to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, which has led to allegations about vote lists and calls for Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and raised trader concerns about traffic and business disruption ahead of Diwali.