Rahul Gandhi Leads 300 Opposition MPs In Massive March Against Election Commission

Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi climbed a police barricade and waved the Tricolour on Tuesday as an INDIA bloc protest march towards the Election Commission of India (ECI) was stopped by security personnel in New Delhi. Gandhi, along with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other Opposition leaders, had joined the march from the Parliament complex. The protesters were seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The Election Commission has rejected the Opposition's allegations and maintained that decisions relating to the exercise were taken unanimously.

The march was halted on Parliament Street near the NITI Aayog and Akashvani Bhawan stretch as police personnel prevented the Opposition MPs from proceeding towards Nirvachan Sadan, the Election Commission headquarters. After being stopped, the MPs sat on the road and staged a dharna, raising slogans and demanding that they be allowed to proceed. Gandhi and Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee subsequently climbed onto police barricades, with Gandhi holding and waving the national flag from atop the barrier. The dramatic scenes were captured on video and quickly became a prominent moment of the protest.

Gandhi later addressed reporters from the Akashvani Bhawan complex, where Opposition MPs continued their protest after being prevented from reaching the ECI office. He said the INDIA bloc was “not only countering” its opponents but “going to destroy them”, while framing the protest as an effort to defend democracy. Gandhi also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat and CEC Gyanesh Kumar had undermined the country’s democratic system. These were political allegations made by Gandhi during the protest and were not established findings. The BJP and the Election Commission have rejected the Opposition's claims concerning the electoral process.

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The Opposition march came amid a wider political confrontation over the Election Commission’s handling of the SIR exercise and changes concerning electoral-roll procedures. INDIA bloc parties have accused the poll panel of irregularities and have demanded accountability from the CEC. The Supreme Court has separately agreed to examine challenges concerning decisions taken by the Election Commission, including allegations that certain decisions were made without the approval of all three members of the poll panel. The court has also clarified that it did not approve modifications to Form 6, which is used by eligible citizens seeking inclusion in electoral rolls. The Election Commission has maintained that its decisions on SIR were unanimous.

Several Opposition leaders were detained during the protest after the march was stopped. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was among those briefly detained, while leaders including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Trinamool Congress MPs Abhishek Banerjee and Derek O'Brien were also detained, according to reports. Priyanka Gandhi was later seen joining Rahul Gandhi and other leaders near the Akashvani Bhawan gate. The Opposition MPs subsequently continued their sit-in inside the complex, which is located close to the Election Commission headquarters. Security was stepped up across the area as police restricted the movement of the protesters.

The protest marked another escalation in the Opposition's campaign against the Election Commission over the SIR controversy. Gandhi and other INDIA bloc leaders have repeatedly raised concerns about electoral-roll revisions and have sought explanations from the poll panel. The Election Commission, meanwhile, has defended the process and rejected allegations of internal disagreement or partisan action. Tuesday’s confrontation unfolded just days after the Supreme Court said it would examine the legality of challenged Election Commission decisions, adding a judicial dimension to the political dispute. With Opposition MPs continuing to press for action against Gyanesh Kumar, the controversy over the electoral-roll revision remains a significant political issue in New Delhi.

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