Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Detained After Hours-Long Sit-In Near ECI Office

India: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were detained by Delhi Police on Tuesday evening after an hours-long sit-in protest near the Election Commission of India office.

The detention followed a march by INDIA bloc opposition MPs towards the ECI headquarters to protest alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The opposition has also been opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Police stopped the protesters near the NITI Aayog office, after which several opposition leaders staged a dharna in the area and later moved into the Akashvani Bhawan premises. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi remained there along with other opposition leaders as the standoff continued.

Rahul Gandhi was seen climbing a police barricade and waving the national flag as security personnel prevented the protesters from proceeding towards the Election Commission headquarters. Police later removed the protesting leaders and took them away in buses.

Other opposition leaders detained during the protest included Congress leaders K.C. Venugopal and Pawan Khera, along with leaders from other INDIA bloc parties. The action brought an end to the prolonged sit-in as police cleared the protest site.

The opposition has described its allegations as “vote chori” and accused the Election Commission of failing to address concerns over the electoral roll revision. The Election Commission, however, has rejected allegations of wrongdoing and disputed some of Rahul Gandhi’s claims regarding the electoral process.

The detention marked another escalation in the ongoing confrontation between the INDIA bloc and the Election Commission over the revision of electoral rolls.