Delhi Police Detain Rahul Gandhi in Election Commission Protest

New Delhi (GNP): Delhi Police detained Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and several other lawmakers on Tuesday. The group had been stopped while marching from Parliament towards the headquarters of the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other leaders of the INDIA bloc joined Gandhi on the march. Police barricades stopped them before they reached the ECI building, and they then staged a sit-in on the road.

The march was meant to press for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. It also opposed the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, particularly in Bihar.

The opposition has made Mr Kumar’s resignation a central demand of its campaign. It accuses the Election Commission of mishandling the revision of voter lists and has alleged “vote theft” during recent elections.

Delhi Police stopped the march, citing restrictions and the lack of permission for such a large gathering. Opposition MPs continued their protest after being prevented from moving ahead, and several leaders were detained during the confrontation.

Gandhi has also raised objections over changes concerning Form 6, which is used for voter registration. The Supreme Court said on Monday that it had not approved any modified version of the form, and it indicated that it would examine records relating to the changes.

Also Read: Pakistan Reiterates Support for Saudi Arabia’s Security

The Election Commission has rejected Gandhi’s claims as misleading. It says the statutory Form 6 itself has not been changed and that the SIR process follows established procedures.

The Election Commission and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party deny the allegations of irregularities. The commission has also rejected claims of political manipulation, saying decisions on the SIR were taken according to established procedures.

Tuesday’s protest is part of a wider INDIA bloc campaign against the SIR exercise. Opposition parties describe the exercise as a threat to electoral transparency.