Rahul Gandhi, opposition lawmakers detained again during protest against India’s election chief
- Rahul Gandhi and several opposition lawmakers were detained for the third time in two days.
- Protesters demanded Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over a disputed revision of voter lists.
- India’s election commission and the ruling BJP have denied allegations of wrongdoing.
Indian police detained opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and several lawmakers on Wednesday as they attempted to protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in central Delhi, marking their third detention in two days.
The opposition is demanding Kumar’s resignation over a controversial revision of voter lists. Demonstrations have intensified since the Indian Express reported last month on disagreements within the election panel over the process, raising questions among opposition parties about the commission’s neutrality.
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Wednesday’s unannounced protest followed a lunch meeting organised by the Congress party at a restaurant near Jantar Mantar, a designated demonstration site in the capital.
Speaking to reporters before boarding a bus with fellow lawmakers, Gandhi said police had prevented them from protesting a day earlier, prompting them to head to the officially permitted venue. He said the opposition did not consider Kumar a legitimate election commissioner and demanded his resignation over alleged vote theft.
Lawmakers displayed posters through the bus windows accusing the authorities of undermining voting rights and democracy. Other placards called for an independent election commission and criticised what protesters described as its alignment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.
Hundreds of Congress supporters walked alongside the bus as police and paramilitary personnel in riot gear deployed in the area. Authorities blocked the road towards Jantar Mantar, forcing the vehicle to take another route.
A live broadcast on Congress’s YouTube channel later showed Gandhi outside the bus, surrounded by protesters and security personnel. His sister, Priyanka Vadra, and other lawmakers were seen lying on the road during the demonstration.
Footage showed security personnel taking Gandhi and Vadra into separate vehicles and driving them away. Police did not immediately comment on the detentions.
On Tuesday, opposition lawmakers led by Gandhi had also gathered to seek a meeting with Kumar and his deputies. Police dispersed that protest and briefly detained the participants.
Opposition parties, their student wings and members of the “cockroach” youth movement have been holding almost daily demonstrations demanding Kumar’s departure.
The unrest poses a fresh political challenge for Modi midway through his third term. It comes months after protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party youth movement over examination paper leaks forced his education minister to resign.
Kumar has not publicly commented on the voter-list controversy. The election commission and the BJP have denied accusations of wrongdoing.
