Police To Escort 30 INDIA Bloc MPs to EC Office After Detaining Protest Leaders in Delhi

Delhi: Tension gripped the capital on Monday as Delhi Police detained several INDIA bloc MPs, including Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, during a high-voltage march to the Election Commission of India (ECI). The protest targeted the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar and alleged large-scale “voter fraud” during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Joint Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Deepak Purohit confirmed the detentions, stating: “The detained INDIA bloc leaders have been taken to a nearby Police Station. We are still counting the number of MPs detained. There was no permission for a protest here, but we had intimation.”

The march began at Parliament’s Makar Dwar under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, with MPs chanting “vote chor” as they advanced towards Nirvachan Sadan. Their stated demand — for the EC to take immediate action against what they called “voter theft” — was cut short when police cordons brought them to a halt.

New Delhi DCP Devesh Kumar explained the restriction, saying: “There was a permission for 30 MPs from the Election Commission. Since they were in large numbers, we detained them. We have informed them that 30 MPs will be allowed (to meet ECI). We will take 30 MPs (to the Election Commission of India) when we get their names.”

Earlier, the Election Commission had granted an appointment to the Congress Party for an interaction at 12 PM, with the condition that only 30 representatives be present. The EC’s letter to Congress MP Jairam Ramesh stated that the limitation was due to space constraints and required submission of names and vehicle numbers in advance.

Despite the EC’s offer, the INDIA bloc chose to march en masse, prompting the detentions. While the police maintained they were enforcing agreed terms, opposition leaders accused the authorities of suppressing dissent and shielding the poll body from accountability.