INDIA Bloc Protest: Rahul Gandhi Detained Over Gyanesh Kumar, SIR Row
INDIA Bloc Protest Against Gyanesh Kumar: Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Detained During Jantar Mantar March
New Delhi witnessed another major political protest on Wednesday as INDIA bloc leaders and Opposition MPs intensified their campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The Opposition demanded the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar and raised allegations of irregularities in the voter-list revision process. The allegations are disputed by the Election Commission and the BJP, which have denied wrongdoing.
The latest protest came a day after Opposition leaders were stopped during a march towards the Election Commission headquarters and several leaders were detained following a prolonged sit-in near Akashvani Bhawan.
INDIA Bloc Heads Towards Jantar Mantar
On October 7, Opposition MPs gathered after a solidarity lunch hosted by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and subsequently moved towards Jantar Mantar.
The protest was planned at the designated demonstration site after Delhi Police had stopped the Opposition's earlier attempt to march towards the Election Commission office.
Rahul Gandhi said the Opposition wanted to use the protest to raise its concerns about the SIR exercise and the Election Commission.
Rahul Gandhi and Several MPs Detained
The march was met with heavy police and paramilitary deployment in central Delhi.
Police barricades were placed along the route towards Jantar Mantar. When the Opposition leaders attempted to continue, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several other MPs were detained.
The detention marked the latest confrontation between Opposition leaders and Delhi Police during the two-day protest campaign.
Visuals from the protest showed Opposition leaders attempting to move through the security cordon, while police personnel stopped and subsequently removed several protesters from the area.
What Is the Opposition Demanding?
The INDIA bloc's main demands include:
Resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar
Opposition to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls
Action over alleged irregularities in the voter-list revision process
Greater transparency in the functioning of the Election Commission
Review of voter names allegedly removed from electoral rolls
The Opposition has referred to its allegations as “vote chori”, but these remain political allegations and are not established findings.
Election Commission's Position
The Election Commission has rejected the suggestion that it is acting outside established procedures.
The poll panel said on Tuesday that no political party had formally sought an appointment through its authorised representatives before 4 pm. It also said that when it was informed about a proposed delegation of around 240 MPs seeking a meeting at Parliament House Annexe, the request was considered unusual because meetings with political delegations are normally held at the Election Commission's premises.
The Commission said it offered to send a senior official to receive the memorandum, but the MPs did not accept that proposal.
The Election Commission has also previously said that differences or observations among commissioners are part of its decision-making process and maintained that decisions taken by the full Commission over the past year were unanimous.
SIR Becomes the Centre of the Political Dispute
The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls has become the central issue behind the Opposition's campaign.
Opposition parties and civil-society groups have raised concerns about voter names being removed from electoral rolls and have demanded greater safeguards during the revision process.
The Election Commission and the BJP have rejected allegations that the exercise has a political motive, saying the revision is intended to identify and remove duplicate or ineligible entries while ensuring eligible voters remain on the rolls.
Protests Continue in Delhi
The latest confrontation follows several days of demonstrations around the issue.
Earlier protests near Jantar Mantar also resulted in detentions after police said permission had not been granted for the demonstrations. Delhi Police has reiterated that protests at Jantar Mantar require prior permission and that demonstrations are prohibited in specified parts of the Central Vista area.
The political dispute is now likely to remain a major issue as Opposition parties continue to demand action against the Election Commission and seek changes to the SIR process.
Latest Update - INDIA Bloc Protest Gyanesh Kumar
Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several Opposition MPs were detained during the October 7 protest in New Delhi after attempting to proceed towards Jantar Mantar.
The INDIA bloc continues to demand Gyanesh Kumar's resignation and changes to the SIR process, while the Election Commission maintains that its procedures and electoral-roll revision process are being conducted within the established framework.
INDIA Bloc Protest Gyanesh Kumar
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