Delhi Police detain opposition leaders during protest march to Election Commission

Delhi Police detained several opposition leaders and parliamentarians on Tuesday as members of the INDIA bloc marched from Parliament to the Election Commission of India headquarters to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Lawmakers including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Trinamool Congress leaders Derek O’Brien and Abhishek Banerjee, and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were detained after police stopped the procession near Parliament Street and Niti Aayog. Protesters faced multi-layered barricading, Rapid Action Force (RAF) deployments, and security personnel from forces including the CISF along the route to Nirvachan Sadan.

The march marked the fifth day of ongoing opposition protests against the poll body over alleged unilateral decisions and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Opposition leaders raised slogans and accused the CEC of violating the Constitution and misleading the Supreme Court regarding changes to Form 6.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that actions by the poll body threatened to dismantle democracy and push citizens toward authoritarian rule. Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi posted on social media calling for the CEC’s resignation, while other leaders, including Congress MP Rajeev Shukla and party leader Jairam Ramesh, asserted that the constitutional functionary could no longer remain in office. The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) also joined the opposition demonstration.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party dismissed the protests as a sponsored effort by the opposition. BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra alleged that the agitation aimed to create anarchy and advance political objectives through attacks on constitutional institutions.

Earlier on Monday, the Supreme Court declined to issue an interim order restraining the CEC from functioning, stating it could not act on assumptions without verifying facts. Separately, the Cockroach Janta Party held parallel demonstrations and announced further mobilisations for October 10.