Indian Opposition Leaders Detained While Protesting Against Election Commission

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were detained in central Delhi on Wednesday (October 7) as Opposition MPs attempted to reach Jantar Mantar for a second consecutive day of protests demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls. Rahul was subsequently released after being taken to Barakhamba Road police station, The Indian Express reported. The confrontation followed Tuesday’s march towards the Election Commission headquarters and a prolonged sit-in at Akashvani Bhavan. “We are not going to stop protesting till Gyanesh Kumar resigns… this is a fight to protect the most sacred thing in this country,” Rahul said. He added that neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor Home Minister Amit Shah could stop the agitation. Wednesday’s standoff unfolded near Windsor Place, where police stopped buses carrying Opposition lawmakers towards Jantar Mantar. MPs and party workers stepped out, gathering on the roads as police attempted to remove protesters. Videos from the site showed Rahul being put into a bus. Priyanka, who lay on the road during the confrontation, was also taken away. Police detained Congress workers who had climbed onto buses. The Opposition’s planned gathering at the designated protest site thus turned into another confrontation on the approach roads, with lawmakers pressing their demand for Kumar’s resignation. Earlier, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge hosted Opposition MPs for lunch at Sagar Ratna on Janpath. Congress’s X account confirmed that Rahul and other senior leaders attended the meeting, alongside INDIA bloc parliamentarians. Those present included Congress leaders KC Venugopal and Manickam Tagore, Left MPs P Sandosh Kumar and V Sivadasan and Trinamool Congress’s Derek O’Brien. Speaking before the protest, Rahul said around 300 MPs wanted to meet the Election Commissioners but had been prevented from doing so. The figure was his account of the proposed delegation. “So our plan is to protest at Jantar Mantar,” he said, questioning Kumar’s legitimacy as CEC. In remarks shared by Congress on its official account, Kharge said the alliance would continue protesting until its demand was met and accused Modi of being behind the Commission’s actions. The renewed protest came as police registered an FIR over the alleged unauthorised entry of Rahul, Priyanka and other Opposition leaders into Akashvani Bhavan a day before (October 6). According to a Delhi Police statement, no permission had been sought or granted for Tuesday’s march from Parliament towards Nirvachan Sadan. Police said leaders who entered Akashvani Bhavan refused to leave until a delegation was allowed to meet Election Commission officials. Police said around 260 people, including 10 MPs, were detained during Tuesday’s protest and subsequently released. That figure relates to the first day, rather than Wednesday’s detentions. Responding to the cases against him, Rahul said, “So every FIR is a medal for me.” The protests centre on the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and allegations concerning voter registration, deletions and the Commission’s functioning. In its September 26 statement, the Commission said its SIR orders and schedules had received unanimous approval. It also announced an expert review of ECINet, home visits to collect documents from voters facing specified notices and help desks or camps for vulnerable groups. For Delhi, the Commission extended the deadline for claims and objections to October 30 and their disposal to November 30. It also directed officials to launch a special enrolment drive for eligible people whose names had been left out. The actions came after an Indian Express investigation report pointed to disagreement within the Election Commissioners over the ongoing SIR process.