Rahul Gandhi climbs a barricade with the Tricolour as INDIA bloc's protest against the Election Commission intensifies in Delhi. (Images: X)
New Delhi: The political confrontation over electoral rolls intensified in the national capital as Delhi Police detained Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra along with several other Opposition leaders during an INDIA bloc protest near Akashvani Bhawan.
The Opposition MPs were marching from Parliament towards the Election Commission headquarters when security personnel stopped them near NITI Aayog. Police erected barricades along the route, prompting protesters to sit on the road and raise slogans against the Election Commission.
The situation escalated after Rahul Gandhi climbed onto a police barricade while carrying the Tricolour. Several other Opposition leaders also climbed the barricades as protesters attempted to move ahead. Police subsequently detained a number of leaders and shifted them in buses. Reports also indicated that Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and some Trinamool Congress leaders were among those taken into custody.
The confrontation took another turn when Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra reportedly entered the Akashvani Bhawan premises as the demonstration was winding down. The two Congress leaders, along with other party members, staged a sit-in under a tree inside the premises. Police officials asked them to leave the area, but the protesters refused to move.
Rahul Gandhi said the Opposition MPs wanted to reach the Election Commission headquarters and meet Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
A heavy security deployment was put in place around Akashvani Bhawan, Parliament Street and the Election Commission office as the protest continued. Multiple barricades were installed at key locations, while traffic restrictions and diversions were introduced in parts of central Delhi to manage the movement of protesters and security personnel.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was taken to Mandir Marg Police Station, while Rahul Gandhi was taken to the police lines at Kingsway Camp, according to the information available.
The protest comes amid a broader political dispute over changes to electoral rolls and the Special Summary Revision process. Opposition parties have alleged irregularities in the voter-list revision process and have demanded greater transparency from the Election Commission. INDIA bloc leaders have also reiterated their demand for the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
The Election Commission, however, has defended its electoral-roll revision process and the decisions taken in connection with it.
With the Opposition continuing its mobilisation, security remained heightened across central Delhi. Police and central security forces were deployed at several sensitive points, while barricading and traffic diversions were used to prevent the protest from spreading to other areas.
The latest detention of Opposition leaders adds another flashpoint to the ongoing confrontation between the INDIA bloc and the Election Commission over electoral-roll revision.
