Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were among around 250 people detained by the Delhi Police on Tuesday night after an over eight-hour sit-in at Akashvani Bhawan, following an Opposition march towards the Election Commission of India (ECI) office being stopped by security personnel.
According to police sources, around 50 MPs were among those detained. The protesters were being taken to the New Police Lines at Kingsway Camp after police moved in to clear the premises.
Opposition March to ECI halted
The confrontation began when INDI bloc MPs attempted to march from Parliament to the ECI headquarters, located around 300 metres away. Carrying the national flag and banners reading ‘Save Democracy’, the Opposition leaders raised slogans against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the BJP and the RSS.
The protest was centred on Opposition allegations of “vote chori” and claims of irregularities in the functioning of the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The INDI bloc MPs were also demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar. The Supreme Court has earlier this week refused to grant an interim order of Kumar’s suspension.
Delhi Police and other security forces had been deployed in large numbers, with barricades erected around the ECI office to prevent the protesters from reaching the premises.
Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were among the leaders briefly detained during the day after the march was stopped.
Rahul Gandhi climbs barricade
The standoff intensified when Rahul Gandhi encountered several layers of police barricades while attempting to proceed towards the ECI headquarters. Gandhi climbed onto one of the barricades and waved a large national flag, drawing slogans of support from Congress workers and other INDI bloc leaders.
After being prevented from proceeding further, Gandhi and other Opposition leaders moved into the Akashvani Bhawan premises and began a sit-in.
Speaking from inside the All India Radio premises, Gandhi claimed that around 300 MPs from both Houses of Parliament had sought to meet the Election Commission but were prevented from doing so.
“We wanted to meet Gyanesh Kumar and his two colleagues, but the police have stopped us. We are representatives of this country, and we represent the country’s people,” he said.
Gandhi later argued that the protesters should be allowed to sit at another location if they could not proceed to the ECI office.
“Just give us any place in Delhi where we can sit. We will sit comfortably,” he said, adding, “We are protesting. The Constitution of India allows us to protest.”
Police clear Akashvani Bhawan
The sit-in continued for more than eight hours before police began clearing the premises and removing the protesters.
Rahul Gandhi was forcibly removed along with Congress leaders and MPs including K C Venugopal, Pawan Khera, K Suresh, Amarinder Singh, Raja Warring and Imran Pratapgarhi. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several other INDI bloc leaders were also detained.
