No prominent Congress leader appeared at Friday’s Delhi protest demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, even though the agitation had been endorsed by the INDIA bloc and announced by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge two days earlier, The Federal reported.

The protest at Jantar Mantar was called by the All India Students Association, Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha and advocate Prashant Bhushan. Delhi Police detained more than 500 protesters, including AAP leaders Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj and Sanjay Singh, during the gathering.

Earlier this week, Kharge had announced a week-long countrywide Save Democracy campaign from October 2 to 8, with opposition MPs marching to the Election Commission on October 6. Nineteen opposition parties attended the coordination meeting.

The BJP criticised the opposition over the allegations. Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the criticism of the poll body reflected “frustration after defeat.”

The opposition has demanded Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the SIR of electoral rolls, which the Election Commission has rejected.