Delhi Police on Monday detained several senior opposition MPs, including Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, during a protest in central Delhi over alleged collusion between the Election Commission and the ruling BJP, Indian media reports.
Joint Commissioner of Police Deepak Purohit confirmed the detentions but did not specify the number of leaders held, saying they were taken to a nearby police station. He stated the protest had no police permission.
The Congress-led INDIA bloc had planned a march from Parliament to the Election Commission’s office, about a kilometre away, alleging manipulation of voter lists to benefit the BJP in recent state and national elections.
Visuals showed MPs and party workers waving placards, chanting slogans, and clashing with police barricades. Two Trinamool Congress MPs, including Mahua Moitra, reportedly fainted during the protest.
Police had blocked roads around Parliament, set up barricades, and deployed large security forces. The demonstration prompted both Houses of Parliament to be adjourned until 2 pm.
The opposition has accused the EC of voter list manipulation in states like Maharashtra and Karnataka, citing suspicious increases in voter numbers.
They have also criticised a “special intensive revision” of Bihar’s voter list ahead of state polls, which is under Supreme Court review for allegedly exceeding the EC’s authority and risking disenfranchisement of certain voter groups.
Rahul Gandhi has demanded the EC release a searchable draft voter list to allow public scrutiny for errors.
