New Delhi: Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were detained by Delhi Police on Tuesday evening after staging an hours-long sit-in at the Akashvani Bhawan premises during an INDIA bloc protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The protest began with opposition leaders marching from Parliament towards the Election Commission’s office, demanding Kumar’s resignation and withdrawal of the SIR exercise. Police stopped the march near Akashvani Bhawan, where several opposition leaders were detained.
Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi later joined other Congress leaders inside the Akashvani Bhawan premises and continued the protest. Police officials asked them to leave, but they refused to move and insisted on being allowed to meet Election Commission officials.
Rahul Gandhi said opposition leaders wanted an opportunity to raise their concerns directly with the poll panel. He claimed that around 300 opposition MPs wanted to meet the Election Commission.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had climbed over a police barricade during the march, while Priyanka Gandhi was also briefly detained. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Trinamool Congress leaders Abhishek Banerjee and Derek O’Brien were among other opposition leaders detained during the protest.
The Election Commission, however, said it had not received any formal request from a political party seeking a meeting with the poll panel.
As the sit-in continued into the evening, a large police and security presence remained outside Akashvani Bhawan. Police eventually entered the premises and detained Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi after they refused to end the protest.
The INDIA bloc leaders said they would continue opposing the SIR exercise and maintained their demand for the Chief Election Commissioner’s resignation.
