New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Monday, August 11, detained several prominent INDIA bloc MPs, including Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Sanjay Raut and Sagarika Ghose. As per reports, the opposition leaders were marching from Parliament to the Election Commission of India in protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar and an alleged voter fraud during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The march, aimed at submitting a memorandum to the poll body, was intercepted by police midway, leading to heated exchanges between the MPs and security personnel.
Upon his detention by the police, Gandhi told the reporters, "The reality is that they cannot talk. The truth is in front of the country. This fight is not political. This fight is to save the Constitution. This fight is for One Man, One Vote. We want a clean, pure voters list."
Have a look at his statement here:
Speaking to reporters before being taken away, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused the government of being gripped by fear. “Dare hue hai. Sarkaar kaayar hai, (the government is scared and cowardly)” she said, alleging that dissent was being met with intimidation.
Have a look:
Akhilesh Yadav Jumps Barricades
The protest turned chaotic when Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the authorities of “using the police to stop us” and was seen dramatically leaping over a barricade.
MPs from multiple parties followed suit, scaling the barriers and chanting slogans against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise as security forces tried to contain the march.
Rahul Gandhi Alleges EC's 'Vote Chori'
Earlier in the week, Rahul Gandhi had levelled serious allegations against the Election Commission, accusing it of colluding with the BJP to enable “large-scale electoral fraud” in states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana.
Calling the irregularities a “crime against the Constitution of India”, he cited dubious voter list changes, opaque data handling and sudden spikes in turnout as proof of what he termed “vote chori.”
The detentions have sparked outrage among other opposition ranks, with several leaders calling it yet another attempt to silence democratic protest in the national capital.
