Protesting 'Vote Chori': Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka & Others Detained in Delhi

Delhi Police on Monday morning detained senior opposition leaders, including Congress’s Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, as well as Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, after their protest against the Election Commission’s alleged collusion with the ruling BJP spilled onto the streets of central Delhi.

As Mr. Gandhi and his colleagues were escorted away in police buses, he told reporters jostling to get a comment, “This fight is not political… it is to save the Constitution. The fight is for ‘one person, one vote.’”

“They have no answer… the truth is before the nation,” he asserted.
Joint Commissioner of Police Deepak Purohit confirmed the detentions but refused to specify the number, telling reporters, “The detained INDIA bloc leaders have been taken to a nearby police station.”

Mr. Purohit stated that the opposition lacked police clearance for a protest of this scale, adding that permission had only been granted for a group of 30 MPs to march to the Election Commission and submit a complaint.

“The Election Commission had permitted 30 MPs to visit… but over 200 marched. We stopped them to prevent any law-and-order situation, after which they were detained. Some MPs attempted to jump the barricades and were also taken into custody,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police Devesh Kumar Mahla.

As visuals circulated in the media, scenes from outside the Parliament building showed politicians and party workers waving placards, shouting slogans, and pushing against police barricades.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav was seen climbing over two police barricades, adding to the day’s drama. The Trinamool Congress later claimed that two of its MPs, including Mahua Moitra, had fainted. 

Earlier, the Congress-led INDIA bloc had begun the day with plans to march to the Election Commission’s office.

Opposition vs Election Commission

Police blockaded roads around the Parliament building, erected barricades, some of which protesters tried to climb, and deployed heavy security to surround the demonstrators.

The unrest prompted both Houses to be adjourned until 2 pm.

The opposition alleges voter fraud by the ruling BJP in collusion with the Election Commission.

The allegations have been simmering since last year’s Maharashtra election, with the opposition bloc, comprising the Congress and the Shiv Sena and NCP factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar, accusing the Election Commission of manipulating voter lists to secure a BJP victory.

They have cited apparent discrepancies, such as an unusually high number of new voters registered just six months after the BJP lost the federal election in the state. Similar claims have been made regarding the Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka.

Last week, Rahul Gandhi used PowerPoint presentations to rally support during meetings of the INDIA bloc.

He presented data to support his allegations of widespread voter fraud and reiterated his demand that the Election Commission release a searchable draft of voter lists, enabling the opposition to verify and identify errors.

The protests have also been intensified by the ‘special intensive revision’ of the Bihar voter list, an exercise ordered by the poll panel just months before elections in the state. This revision is currently under challenge in the Supreme Court.

Petitioners have argued that the move is illegal, exceeding the Election Commission’s mandate, and have questioned its timing, warning that excluded voters may not have sufficient time to resolve appeals. The opposition has further alleged that the exercise was orchestrated by the BJP to disenfranchise vote banks that traditionally support them.

Concerns have also been raised over the Election Commission’s rejection of common government IDs, such as Aadhaar and even its own identity card, for voter re-verification purposes.

Despite this, the Supreme Court allowed the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) to proceed but instructed the EC to ensure that genuine voters are not excluded, and that approximately 6.5 million excluded voters are given adequate time to appeal.

The Election Commission has strongly denied the allegations, asserting that its processes are transparent and designed to uphold free and fair elections. It has also challenged Rahul Gandhi’s claims, demanding he submit a signed affidavit along with evidence to support his accusations

Also Read: EC Gives Rahul Gandhi Fresh Ultimatum: Submit Proof of ‘Vote Theft’ Claims or Apologise