Rahul Gandhi, other opposition lawmakers detained in Dehli

Rahul Gandhi, senior leader of opposition Congress party, at Congress’ headquarters in New Delhi, India, October 9, 2023. PHOTO: REUTERS

Delhi police detained on Monday Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and other opposition members during a protest march to the Election Commission’s office in the Indian capital.

Gandhi, who is also the opposition leader in the Indian parliament, was arrested along with his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Shiv Sena leaders Sanjay Raut and Priyanka Chaturvedi, and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

The march, led by the Congress-backed INDIA bloc, was called to protest alleged collusion between the poll body and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Indian media reported.

“We stopped them to prevent any breakdown of law and order,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Devesh Kumar Mahla claimed while speaking to local media. He added that some lawmakers attempted to jump barricades.

Delhi’s Joint Commissioner of Police Deepak Purohit confirmed the detentions but declined to provide numbers. Police officials said permission had been granted for 30 MPs to march, but over 200 turned up.

Visuals showed opposition leaders and supporters waving placards, shouting slogans, and pushing against barricades outside Parliament. Samajwadi Party’s Yadav was seen climbing over barricades, while the Trinamool Congress said two MPs, including Mahua Moitra, fainted during the protest.

“This fight is not political…it is to save the Constitution. The fight is for ‘one person, one vote'”, said the leader of the opposition before being taken away by police. 

The BJP accused the opposition of attempting to create disorder. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said: “The country can see who is working against the Constitution.” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju warned that the government would not tolerate attacks on the Election Commission.

The opposition has accused the poll panel of manipulating voter lists in Maharashtra and Karnataka to favour the BJP, citing alleged discrepancies such as a surge in new voters months after elections. The allegations were first raised after last year’s Maharashtra state polls.

The protest led to road blockades near Parliament and the adjournment of both Houses.

Last month, Gandhi slammed the Indian government for its handling of Operation Sindoor, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of launching the military campaign against Pakistan solely to protect his image.

He described the operation as ending in an “immediate surrender” after just 30 minutes of action. 

“The DGMO of India was instructed by the government to ask for a ceasefire at 1:35 am on the night of Operation Sindoor,” Gandhi said in his speech in parliament earlier. He accused the Indian government of a lack of political will, arguing that the ceasefire request amounted to an “immediate surrender in 30 minutes”.

He further asserted that the goal of the operation was to protect Modi’s image. “The prime minister has the blood of the people of Pahalgam on his hands. The goal of the exercise was to make sure he used the air force to protect his image,” Gandhi declared.

The Congress leader also criticised Modi for denying Trump’s repeated claims that he had successfully mediated a ceasefire. “If he is lying, the prime minister should say in his speech that Donald Trump is lying. If he has the courage, like Indira Gandhi, he should say, ‘Donald Trump, you are a liar,'” he demanded.

Gandhi pointed out that no country condemned Pakistan after the events in Pahalgam, despite widespread condemnation of terrorism. “All countries have condemned terrorism. Absolutely, 100% correct. But after Pahalgam, no country condemned Pakistan. Not a single country condemned Pakistan,” he said.