Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Removed From Opposition Protest Site Near Election Commissionਚੋਣ ਕਮਿਸ਼ਨ ਦੇ ਧਰਨਾ ਥਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਰਾਹੁਲ ਗਾਂਧੀ, ਪ੍ਰਿਯੰਕਾ ਗਾਂਧੀ ਹਟਾਏ ਗਏ

March from Parliament stopped near NITI Aayog

The day began at roughly 11 in the morning, when more than 300 MPs from the INDIA bloc set out from Parliament's Makar Dwar toward the Election Commission headquarters at Nirvachan Sadan. The opposition wanted to meet the Election Commissioners and press its demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. But central Delhi was heavily barricaded, with police and paramilitary personnel deployed along the route and access to the Commission's office restricted. Security forces stopped the march near the NITI Aayog office on Parliament Street, and the MPs sat down on the road. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee were among the prominent figures in the delegation.

A climb over the barricade

As police began detaining MPs and moving them into waiting buses, the protest turned dramatic. Rahul Gandhi climbed over a police barricade and waved the national flag, drawing cheers from supporters, while Abhishek Banerjee also climbed the barricades during the confrontation. The opposition said its delegation represented crores of Indians. "More than 300 opposition MPs marched from Parliament to the Election Commission today to meet the Election Commissioners. We represent crores of Indians. Why aren't the Election Commissioners meeting us? Why is the police stopping and threatening us?" Rahul Gandhi said.

The 'dhappa' detour to Akashvani Bhawan

Then came the surprise move the Congress later nicknamed "dhappa". Instead of waiting on the road to be taken away, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra changed course. Priyanka first boarded a bus parked near the building and Rahul prepared to follow her, but suddenly they turned and walked into the nearby Akashvani Bhavan premises, taking the protest off the heavily secured route and catching the police off guard. The two sat under a tree near Gate No. 4. Other Congress leaders, including KC Venugopal, Pawan Khera and Imran Pratapgarhi, joined the sit-in, while some climbed the boundary wall and raised slogans. Deepender Hooda and former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi also sat with them, and Congress shared a video of the detour with a playful "dhappa" caption.

Removal from the site and detentions

The sit-in could not last. Security personnel surrounded the premises, and Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were removed from the protest site by Delhi Police and briefly detained. Several other INDIA bloc leaders, including Akhilesh Yadav and Trinamool's Derek O'Brien, were also detained and taken away in buses as security forces blocked the way to the poll body's office.

The Election Commission rejects the charges

The Election Commission rejected the opposition's allegations in an official statement. It said the Commission is a constitutional body that functions under the strict mandate of Article 324 of the Constitution, and that all its actions had been in accordance with the law and its own instructions. The statement added that differing views were a normal part of deliberation within the institution.

Political reactions

The BJP accused the opposition of trying to undermine a constitutional institution. Party spokesperson Sambit Patra alleged the Congress and its allies were attempting to create "anarchy" and were using the confrontation to politically relaunch Rahul Gandhi. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee publicly backed the protests, saying they would continue until the Chief Election Commissioner steps down. The opposition announced district-level padyatras through October 8 and a nationwide "Save votes, save the country" rally series from late October to November 25. The Aam Aadmi Party stayed away from the march. The same day, the Supreme Court clarified it had not approved any modified version of the voter-enrollment Form 6, issued notices to the Centre, the Commission and the CEC, and declined to suspend the Commissioner. It was the second consecutive day of protests demanding the CEC's resignation.

Why did the INDIA bloc march to the Election Commission?

The MPs marched to demand Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation and to challenge the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, which they say has wrongly deleted eligible voters from the lists.

Why were Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi removed from the protest site?

Delhi Police said the march lacked permission to reach the Commission's office. After the procession was stopped near the NITI Aayog office, the two Congress leaders moved their protest into the Akashvani Bhavan premises, and police removed them from that site.

What did the Election Commission say in response?

The Commission rejected the opposition's allegations, saying it functions as a constitutional body under Article 324 of the Constitution and that all its actions were in accordance with the law and its own instructions.

What is the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls?

The Special Intensive Revision is the Election Commission's exercise to update voter lists, including in poll-bound Bihar. The opposition says it has disenfranchised genuine voters; the Commission says its processes follow the law.