Delhi was rocked on Tuesday morning as police detained Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi during a protest march by opposition INDIA bloc MPs, demanding resignation of India’s Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. But they were released minutes after the detention.
The opposition MPs took out the procession from Parliament Street towards “Nirvachan Sadan,” the headquarters of the Election Commission.
During the march, MPs carried cutouts of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar depicting him wearing a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) uniform.
The demonstrators chanted slogans including “BJP hai, CEC hai, vote chor, gaddi chor” and “Democracy not for sale” as they attempted to reach the Election Commission headquarters through the Akashvani Bhavan compound.
Police intercepted the procession near the NITI Aayog office on Parliament Street, prompting the protesting MPs to sit on the road. During the standoff, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) All-India General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee climbed atop police barricades.
High drama ensued as police detained several leaders, including AITC’s Abhishek Banerjee and Mahua Moitra.
Although police initially placed Priyanka Gandhi inside a police bus to detain her, she quickly stepped off and rejoined her brother Rahul Gandhi at the entrance of Akashvani Bhavan.
Attempting a roundabout route to reach the Election Commission, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Deepender Singh Hooda successfully pushed through the reception gate into Akashvani Bhavan following a prolonged scuffle with police.
Inside the compound, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi sat on a dharna under a tree, where police subsequently detained them. Outside, Congress leader KC Venugopal and other opposition members remained standing as police blocked their path.
To bring the situation under control, Area Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma arrived at the scene with a large police contingent.
The renewed agitation demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation was triggered by a report published in a national English daily newspaper.
Following the report, 19 opposition parties of the INDIA bloc – including the Congress and Trinamool Congress – held a meeting at Delhi’s Constitution Club on September 30, where they unanimously resolved to march to Nirvachan Sadan on October 6 demanding the CEC’s resignation.
