Rahul Gandhi Detained As INDIA Bloc March To Election Commission Halted

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was detained on Monday along with several other Opposition MPs after being stopped by security officials during a march to the Election Commission’s (EC) headquarters in the capital.

The lawmakers, part of the INDIA bloc alliance, were seeking to submit a memorandum to the EC demanding what they described as a “clean and accurate” voter list. The protest follows allegations of discrepancies in the electoral rolls, particularly in Bihar.

Rahul Gandhi, who is the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said the demonstration was “not political” but aimed at “saving the Constitution”. He added that the EC was effectively inaccessible to them and claimed “the truth is before the nation”.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the MPs had planned a peaceful march and intended to present their memorandum collectively, without sending a smaller delegation. He accused authorities of preventing them from reaching Nirvachan Sadan, saying they were stopped outside the PTI building, and alleged that “democracy is being assaulted, murdered” by the EC’s actions.

Shashi Tharoor, another Congress MP, said the EC must provide transparent and substantive answers to questions raised by Rahul Gandhi, arguing that the responses so far appeared to be only “a formality”.

Several MPs, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, were detained and taken away by bus, where they were seen shouting slogans. Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien told reporters that his party colleague Mahua Moitra fainted during the protest. TMC leader Sagarika Ghose shared a video on X showing Moitra being attended to by fellow party members.

Outside the Parliament Street Police Station, where Opposition MPs were detained, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut alleged that the government was deliberately preventing Parliament from functioning. He claimed it was a “conspiracy” to stop the MPs from meeting the Election Commission, despite them being elected representatives who had sought an appointment. Raut said they were instead detained and brought to the police station.

Responding to the march, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan criticised the Congress for “disregard for constitutional institutions” and urged them to raise matters in Parliament. In a separate comment, he accused Rahul Gandhi of engaging in “anti-constitutional acts” when his party did not win elections.

In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed to the Opposition to avoid creating disruptions, emphasising that the public’s time should not be wasted and calling for constructive dialogue to address citizens’ concerns. He warned that any parties causing disruptions would be held accountable by the public.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, in a video posted on X, alleged that Rahul Gandhi and the INDIA bloc were “defaming democracy under the pressure of anti-India forces”. He accused them of targeting constitutional bodies, questioning the armed forces, and now undermining the voter list. Chouhan also challenged Rahul Gandhi over his allegations, citing Congress victories in Karnataka, Telangana, and Himachal Pradesh as evidence that the voter list could not be blamed for electoral losses.

The EC has not issued a fresh statement in response to the recent events.

(Quotes in this report were sourced from PTI’s X account)