New Delhi: A high-voltage political showdown unfolded in the heart of the Indian capital on Monday as Delhi Police detained senior opposition leaders, including Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, and Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Sanjay Raut and Priyanka Chaturvedi. The leaders were part of a protest march to the Election Commission’s headquarters, accusing the poll body of colluding with the ruling BJP to commit large-scale voter fraud.
The march began from Parliament’s Makar Dwar shortly after 11:30 am, with over 200 MPs and supporters carrying placards and chanting slogans like “Cancel SIR, Stop Vote Chori.” Their demand: an immediate halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar and a release of a searchable draft voter list for transparency.
Police had permitted only 30 MPs to march to the EC to submit a memorandum. Joint Commissioner of Police Deepak Purohit said the rally exceeded the agreed limit, prompting roadblocks, barricades, and eventual detentions. “We stopped them to prevent any breakdown of law and order. Some MPs tried jumping barricades; they were also detained,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police Devesh Kumar Mahla.
Visuals from the protest showed Rahul Gandhi being escorted into a police bus, Akhilesh Yadav climbing over two barricades, and Congress workers clashing with security personnel. The Trinamool Congress claimed two of its MPs, including Mahua Moitra, fainted during the commotion.
Speaking to reporters before being taken away, Rahul Gandhi said, “This fight is not political… it is to save the Constitution. The fight is for ‘one person, one vote’.” He accused the EC of facilitating “vote theft” to benefit the BJP.
The BJP responded sharply, with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan calling the protest “a well-thought-out strategy to create anarchy.” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju defended the Election Commission and warned that the government “will not tolerate attacks” on the institution.
The opposition’s allegations stem from last year’s Maharashtra elections and recent voter list revisions in Karnataka and Bihar. They claim inflated or manipulated voter lists helped the BJP in tight contests. According to Rahul Gandhi, his analysis found around one lakh suspicious voters in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura Assembly segment alone.
The controversy over Bihar’s SIR has now reached the Supreme Court, where petitioners argue the EC acted beyond its powers and timed the revision to disenfranchise opposition vote banks before the polls.
As the legal battle unfolds, the opposition says it will keep taking its fight from the Parliament floor to the streets — even if it means being detained.