Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, along with other opposition leaders and supporters, entered the premises of Akashvani Bhawan in New Delhi on Tuesday after security personnel stopped their march towards the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The INDIA bloc MPs were marching from Parliament towards the ECI headquarters, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and raising concerns over alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls.
The protesters were stopped near the NITI Aayog office on Parliament Street. Following the stoppage, several leaders sat on the road in protest.
Rahul Gandhi and Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee were seen climbing atop police barricades, while Priyanka Gandhi was briefly taken towards a bus after being detained. She later got off and joined Rahul Gandhi near the Akashvani Bhawan gate.
The two Congress leaders, along with Congress MP Deepender Hooda and other supporters, subsequently entered the Akashvani Bhawan premises through the reception gate and sat under a tree as the standoff with the police continued. The gate was later shut.
Opposition MPs Detained
Several opposition leaders were detained during the protest and taken away in buses.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, TMC leaders Derek O’Brien and Abhishek Banerjee, and CPI(M) leader John Brittas were among those participating in the march.
A large police contingent was deployed in the area, with barricades placed along the route towards the Election Commission headquarters. Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma also reached the spot as police attempted to clear the protesting leaders.
Congress whip in the Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore said 237 MPs from both Houses of Parliament participated in the protest.
During the march, opposition MPs carried cutouts depicting Gyanesh Kumar in an RSS uniform and raised slogans including “BJP hai CEC hai” and “Vote chor, gaddi chhod”.
Rahul Gandhi also posted on X, “Gyanesh it’s done bro. Time to resign.”
Opposition Targets ECI Over SIR
The protest comes amid sustained opposition criticism of the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the functioning of the poll panel.
Opposition parties have also questioned the Election Commission’s handling of Form 6, which is used for voter enrolment.
The protest followed the Supreme Court’s observations on Monday that it had not approved any modified version of Form 6 and would examine the Election Commission’s records to determine whether changes had been made and who had authorised them.
The Election Commission had earlier said in a September 26 statement that the declaration attached to Form 6 for the SIR exercise had been upheld by the Supreme Court. Opposition leaders have disputed the Commission’s interpretation.
CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar alleged that the Commission’s statement was misleading and said opposition parties would intensify their campaign.
Congress MP Imran Masood also accused Gyanesh Kumar of eroding public trust in the Election Commission.
“Across the country, the institution that Gyanesh Kumar headed was an institution the entire country trusted,” Masood told PTI Videos, alleging that the CEC had damaged that trust.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut questioned the heavy security deployment around the protest, saying the MPs intended to march peacefully.
Meanwhile, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who joined the protest, said the agitation would continue to “protect your vote and your freedom”.
The Election Commission has rejected suggestions of differences within the three-member poll panel and maintained that decisions concerning the SIR exercise were taken unanimously.
