A Blocked March, An Open Gate: How Akashvani Bhavan Became Congress’s Protest Ground

The INDIA bloc’s march to the Election Commission ended at police barricades, but the protest continued through an open gate at Akashvani Bhavan, where Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders staged a sit-in lasting more than six hours.

Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other party leaders sat beneath a banyan tree after police prevented INDIA bloc MPs from reaching the Election Commission headquarters.

Delhi Police eventually detained the leaders inside the campus. An official later said access would have to be secured to prevent a repeat.

From Parliament Street To Akashvani Campus

INDIA bloc MPs had planned to march from Parliament to Nirvachan Sadan, the Election Commission headquarters, over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Security personnel stopped them near the NITI Aayog office. Several MPs sat on the road, while Rahul Gandhi and Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee climbed atop a barricade. Gandhi waved the Tricolour.

Priyanka Gandhi was taken to a waiting bus for detention but soon stepped off and joined Rahul at the Akashvani gate. As police began detaining Opposition leaders, the two entered through an iron gate left open for employees.

Congress MP Deepender Hooda also entered the premises. General secretary K C Venugopal, MP Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and party leaders Manish Chatrath and B V Srinivas were among those who joined the demonstration.

According to Congress leaders, the decision to move inside followed the blocking of the march and was intended to prolong the protest.

A Six-Hour Sit-In At A Heritage Building

The northern Akashvani campus became the gathering point until a large contingent of Delhi Police personnel detained Gandhi and the other leaders.

Senior Congress leaders said the move had inadvertently turned the campus into a temporary political platform. A senior official, however, said Gandhi “took advantage of the gate that was left open.”

“In future, we have to ensure no such misuse of the Akashvani Bhavan,” the official added.

Built in the 1940s, Akashvani Bhavan’s semi-circular main building has heritage status. It houses All India Radio’s news service, drama and FM sections.

What The Protest Was About

The Opposition has been demanding Kumar’s removal, greater transparency in electoral-roll revision and restoration of voters allegedly excluded during SIR.

“The main demands are crystal clear. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar must go; he should resign. The SIR (Special Intensive Revision) should be scrapped. All the voters who have been removed or deleted under SIR must be restored back onto the voter list,” Congress Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain told ANI.

He also sought a high-level inquiry into alleged political interference in the election machinery.

The march followed the Supreme Court’s clarification that it had not approved any modified version of Form 6, used to apply for inclusion in electoral rolls. The court said it would examine Election Commission records to determine whether changes had been made and who had authorised them.

The EC had earlier said the declaration attached to Form 6 for SIR had been upheld by the court. Rahul Gandhi accused Kumar of changing the form “illegally and unilaterally”.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra disputed that interpretation, saying the court had not declared Form 6 illegal and had only agreed to examine the allegations. The Election Commission has maintained that its three members took SIR-related decisions unanimously.