Opposition INDIA bloc leaders, including Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, were detained in New Delhi on Tuesday during a march towards the Election Commission headquarters. The protest was organised to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The march began from Parliament and proceeded towards the Election Commission office, but security personnel stopped the opposition MPs on Parliament Street near the NITI Aayog office. After being prevented from moving forward, the leaders staged a sit-in on the road. Police subsequently detained several opposition leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Akhilesh Yadav, Trinamool Congress leaders Derek O’Brien and Abhishek Banerjee, and took them away in buses.
Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi later entered the Akashvani Bhawan premises with some supporters after the march was stopped. They had been attempting to proceed towards the Election Commission headquarters, which was located a short distance away. Rahul Gandhi was also seen standing on a police barricade while holding the national flag during the standoff. The two Congress leaders were subsequently detained inside the premises.
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The opposition has demanded the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar, withdrawal of the SIR exercise and restoration of voter names that it alleges were removed during the electoral roll revision. Opposition leaders have also raised objections to changes associated with Form 6, the statutory application used for voter enrolment, citing observations made by the Supreme Court during a hearing on the issue.
The protest comes amid an ongoing political dispute over the SIR process and the Election Commission's handling of electoral roll revisions. Opposition parties have alleged irregularities and a lack of transparency, while the Election Commission has maintained that decisions related to the SIR were taken in accordance with the law and by consensus among its members. The Supreme Court has said it would examine the Election Commission's records concerning the disputed changes to Form 6.
Tuesday's march marked another escalation in the opposition's campaign against the poll panel's handling of the electoral roll revision. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule and other opposition leaders also participated in the demonstration. Security arrangements were strengthened across central Delhi ahead of the march, with barricades placed around Parliament and the Election Commission headquarters.
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