Delhi Police on Wednesday detained Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other INDIA bloc leaders as they marched toward the designated protest site at Jantar Mantar, escalating a two-day confrontation between the opposition and the Election Commission.
Detained on back-to-back days
The detention on October 7 came a day after the opposition alliance's march to the Election Commission headquarters, during which Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Akhilesh Yadav and others were stopped and later held for hours inside the Akashvani Bhavan premises before being released late at night.
On Wednesday, police intercepted the leaders' buses near Jantar Mantar, saying prior permission was required for the demonstration. Priyanka Gandhi staged a sit-in on the road before being removed by women police personnel; she told reporters the officers "scratched me all over." Congress MP Pawan Khera and TMC MP Derek O'Brien were among the others detained. Rahul Gandhi was released after about two hours.
The 'vote chori' demand
The INDIA bloc has been demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over what Rahul Gandhi has alleged is "vote chori" — fraud in voter rolls carried out through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Gandhi has framed the allegations as an attack on the democratic process, while the Election Commission has not issued a response visible in the reports reviewed for this article.
During the protest, Gandhi said 45 FIRs had been registered against him, adding, "My goal is 100." Congress declared October 7 a "Black Day" and called for nationwide protests on October 8, with another INDIA bloc demonstration against the CEC scheduled for Thursday.
The confrontation marks the sharpest escalation yet in the opposition's weeks-long campaign against the poll panel, which has already seen hundreds detained at Jantar Mantar earlier in October and FIRs registered over the previous day's events at Akashvani Bhavan.
Sources:
- The Statesman: Rahul, Priyanka Detained En Route to Jantar Mantar
- The Economic Times: Rahul Gandhi Detained as INDIA Bloc Leaders Stopped Near Jantar Mantar
- Scroll.in: Opposition MPs at Jantar Mantar for Day 2 of Protests
Detained on back-to-back days
The detention on October 7 came a day after the opposition alliance's march to the Election Commission headquarters, during which Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Akhilesh Yadav and others were stopped and later held for hours inside the Akashvani Bhavan premises before being released late at night.
On Wednesday, police intercepted the leaders' buses near Jantar Mantar, saying prior permission was required for the demonstration. Priyanka Gandhi staged a sit-in on the road before being removed by women police personnel; she told reporters the officers "scratched me all over." Congress MP Pawan Khera and TMC MP Derek O'Brien were among the others detained. Rahul Gandhi was released after about two hours.
The 'vote chori' demand
The INDIA bloc has been demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over what Rahul Gandhi has alleged is "vote chori" — fraud in voter rolls carried out through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Gandhi has framed the allegations as an attack on the democratic process, while the Election Commission has not issued a response visible in the reports reviewed for this article.
During the protest, Gandhi said 45 FIRs had been registered against him, adding, "My goal is 100." Congress declared October 7 a "Black Day" and called for nationwide protests on October 8, with another INDIA bloc demonstration against the CEC scheduled for Thursday.
The confrontation marks the sharpest escalation yet in the opposition's weeks-long campaign against the poll panel, which has already seen hundreds detained at Jantar Mantar earlier in October and FIRs registered over the previous day's events at Akashvani Bhavan.
Sources:
- The Statesman: Rahul, Priyanka Detained En Route to Jantar Mantar
- The Economic Times: Rahul Gandhi Detained as INDIA Bloc Leaders Stopped Near Jantar Mantar
- Scroll.in: Opposition MPs at Jantar Mantar for Day 2 of Protests
