Rahul Gandhi, other opposition MPs detained during march to ECI office in Delhi
Leaders demand CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over electoral roll irregularities
Delhi: Delhi Police on Tuesday briefly detained opposition parliamentarians, including Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, during a march to the Election Commission of India (CJI) headquarters demanding Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the march came amid nearly daily protests in several parts of India by student organizations, political parties and the ‘cockroach’ movement, which began last week. The protests followed reports in The Indian Express last month of differences within the poll body, particularly over electoral rolls and voter registration procedures, raising concerns about the commission’s neutrality. Protesters are demanding Kumar’s resignation over the functioning of the ECI and its handling of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
On Tuesday, opposition parties marched from parliament towards to the ECI headquarters but were stopped by heavy police deployment. Some politicians sat on the road as they waited, while police briefly detained Rahul Gandhi briefly, along with other lawmakers, before releasing them. Hundreds of Indian forces’ personnel were deployed in the area, with barricades erected and several routes closed.
Other opposition leaders including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Trinamool Congress (Mamata Banerjee faction) leader Abhishek Banerjee and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Sanjay Raut also participated in the march.
Opposition politicians have accused the ECI of acting at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Rahul Gandhi carried a placard reading: “Gyanesh, it’s done bro!” He said that about 300 Opposition MPs wanted to meet Kumar and the election commissioners, but they were prevented from reaching the ECI office.
“We represent the people of the country, we are their voice,” he told reporters. “We are not being allowed to go to the Election Commission’s office…300 MPs want to meet Gyanesh Kumar, but they are scared.” If the Election Commission does not meet the MPs who represent the people, “then what is the meaning of democracy?” he asked.
Holding a large banner that said “Save Democracy”, opposition lawmakers raised slogans against Modi and demanded that Kumar resign as they marched from parliament to the ECI headquarters in central Delhi.
“The election commission is a puppet in the hands of the government. We are fighting to save our democracy,” Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters as the march began.
The SIR exercise, which began in June 2025, has faced questions over the manner and pace of its implementation, amid concerns that it could deny genuine electors their right to vote and shape election outcomes.
In May, the Indian Supreme Court upheld the legality of the exercise but clarified that this did not give the Election Commission authority to determine whether an individual was an Indian citizen.
Despite the ruling, the BJP-ruled states have cited the SIR to deny ration cards to those whose names were removed from electoral rolls. In some cases, police have also denied permission for their passports to be renewed.
