- INDIA bloc protested two days in Delhi against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
- Rahul Gandhi climbed barricades; Priyanka Gandhi lay on road.
- Opposition leaders faced police detention during dramatic demonstrations.
Two days, two protest sites and repeated confrontations with the Delhi Police, the INDIA bloc’s agitation against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise turned into a high-voltage political showdown in the national capital.
The Opposition began its protest at Akashvani Bhawan on Tuesday, demanding action against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and alleging "vote chori". A day later, the protest moved towards Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site, but was stopped by heavy police deployment.
What followed on both days were dramatic scenes involving Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several other INDIA bloc leaders, with police detentions bringing the protests to an end on both occasions.
From Rahul Gandhi climbing barricades and entering the Akashvani Bhawan premises on Day 1 to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra lying on the road with a constitution book in her hands, let's take a look at the two-day demonstration.
( image credits: PTI )
Day 1: Rahul Gandhi climbs barricades, Opposition leaders detained
The first day of the protest began with INDIA bloc leaders gathering in central Delhi as part of the Opposition’s broader "Save Democracy" campaign.
The protest, centred on allegations of "vote chori" and the demand for the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, soon escalated as Opposition leaders marched towards the Election Commission’s office.
Rahul Gandhi took centre stage as the protest moved towards Akashvani Bhawan. Amid heavy barricading by the Delhi Police, Gandhi climbed over a multi-layered steel barricade, stood on top of it and waved the tricolour before making his way through the police cordon and entering the All India Radio (AIR) premises.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several other Opposition leaders also entered the Akashvani Bhawan premises.
( image credits: PTI )
Gandhi then staged a sit-in and remained there until around 8 pm, saying the Opposition had sought a meeting with the Election Commission and would not leave until the poll panel met them.
While INDIA bloc leaders maintained that they wanted to meet the Election Commissioners, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said no political party had sought an appointment with the poll panel until 4 pm.
The ECI also described the proposed venue and the manner in which the meeting was sought as “unusual” in view of its established protocol.
By evening, the standoff between the protesters and police intensified.
( image credits: PTI )
At around 8 pm, Delhi Police personnel moved in and forcibly removed Rahul Gandhi and other leaders from the premises. Gandhi and other Opposition MPs were pushed into police vans and buses as they resisted the detention.
The Delhi Police said the leaders were detained to "maintain law and order" and prevent the situation from deteriorating. Police also said that no official permission had been sought or granted for the rally.
According to the police, around 260 people, including 10 Members of Parliament, were detained after repeated non-compliance with instructions.
The detained leaders were taken to New Police Lines at Kingsway Camp and were released by around 10 pm.
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Delhi Police later registered an FIR against Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and their supporters for allegedly forcibly entering Akashvani Bhawan during the Opposition’s march against the CEC on October 6.
Day 2: Lunch Meet To Jantar Mantar
The Opposition returned to the streets on Wednesday, but this time with Jantar Mantar as its intended destination.
A large number of Opposition MPs had gathered for lunch at a restaurant on Janpath in central Delhi. The lunch was hosted by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
After lunch, the leaders boarded buses and set off towards Jantar Mantar, saying will protest at 'Jantar Mantar', which is the designated protest site.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi being detained by delhi police. ( pti )
"Today, we feel that we will protest at Jantar Mantar, which is a designated protest site, and tell the country that for us Gyanesh Kumar is not a legitimate Election Commissioner," Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi told reporters.
But the Opposition MPs were stopped before it could reach the protest site.
Delhi Police had deployed heavy security across Lutyens’ Delhi, with barricades put in place at several points across the New Delhi area. Personnel from the Delhi Police, Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) were deployed in large numbers.
Buses carrying Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other Opposition MPs were stopped on Ashoka Road.
Congress leader Pawan Khera said the buses were headed towards Jantar Mantar after the police had prevented the Opposition from protesting at other locations in the capital.
With the route blocked, the leaders decided to stage their protest where they had been stopped. Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other Opposition leaders staged a sit-in at the roundabout near the Shangri-La hotel.
Then came the most dramatic scenes of the day.
Priyanka Gandhi was seen lying on the road alongside other women leaders, holding a copy of the Constitution.
Police personnel moved in to clear the protesters from the road. Rahul Gandhi was first forcibly removed and carried on the shoulders of security personnel before being placed inside a police bus.
Some Congress leaders, including Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Udai Bhanu Chib, climbed onto the bus carrying Rahul Gandhi, while MP Mumtaz Patel sat on its bonnet.
A large group of women police officers then moved towards Priyanka Gandhi and the other women protesters lying on the road. They were forcibly removed and taken away in buses.
As the detention took place, Priyanka Gandhi accused the authorities of mistreating MPs.
"This is how they treat members of Parliament who are asking simply to meet the election commissioners. This is how they treat us. They are beating members of Parliament," Priyanka Gandhi said.
The detained INDIA Bloc leaders were later released by the Delhi Police.
What's Next?
The Congress has announced widespread protests at the state, district and block levels on October 8, observing a "Black Day" for Indian democracy following the police action and detention of Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and others.
“Today, the BJP-led central government under Shri Narendra Modi crossed all limits. When INDIA bloc MPs--led by Hon''ble Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Shri Rahul Gandhi were marching peacefully towards Jantar Mantar to demand accountability from the Election Commission, they were stopped and subjected to force. Shri Rahul Gandhi, Smt. Priyanka Gandhi, our senior leaders, and INDIA bloc MPs were subjected to barbaric mistreatment and a lathi-charge, resulting in serious injuries,” the note signed by Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal read.
Congress called the police action an 'attack on the Constitution' and said it would continue its campaign until Gyanesh Kumar is removed from office.