India: Delhi Police detained senior opposition MPs, including the Congress’ Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, Monday morning as their protests over the Election Commission’s ‘collusion’ with the ruling BJP spilled over into the streets of central Delhi.
Among others detained were Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and his Samajwadi Party counterpart, Akhilesh Yadav, as well as another Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, Priyanka Chaturvedi.
Joint Commissioner of Police Deepak Purohit confirmed the detention but declined to give a number, telling reporters, “Detained INDIA bloc leaders have been taken to a nearby police station.”
Purohit said the opposition did not have police permission for a protest of this scale, and that only a group of 30 MPs had been allowed to march to the Election Commission and submit a complaint but over 200 came marching. We stopped them to prevent any breakdown of law-and-order. They were then detained. Some MPs tried jumping barricades.. they were also detained,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Devesh Kumar Mahla said.
