Indian opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were released by Delhi Police after being detained for nearly two hours on Wednesday while attempting to join a protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The Congress leaders were stopped by police while travelling towards Jantar Mantar in the Indian capital, where the Congress-led opposition alliance had organised a demonstration against the Election Commission over alleged irregularities and bias in the revision of electoral rolls.
The incident marked the third time in two days that Rahul Gandhi had been detained by police.
Reuters reported that several opposition lawmakers, including Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, were attempting to reach Jantar Mantar to participate in the protest when police blocked their route and took them into custody. They were released after being held for approximately two hours.
The detentions have further heightened political tensions in the capital, as opposition parties continue to challenge the Election Commission over its handling of the voter-list revision process.
The Congress-led opposition has accused the Election Commission of favouritism and alleged that the revision of electoral rolls could be used to exclude certain groups or supporters of particular political parties from exercising their voting rights.
Rahul Gandhi has also alleged that opposition lawmakers were denied an opportunity to present their concerns directly to the Election Commission.
Addressing Wednesday’s demonstration, Gandhi claimed that nearly 300 lawmakers had sought a meeting with the Election Commission but were not given an opportunity to meet its officials. He said the treatment of opposition MPs was inconsistent with democratic principles.
Gandhi also launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing them of working together to undermine India’s democratic system. He also strongly criticised the role of the Election Commission.
The opposition’s principal concern centres on the ongoing revision of electoral rolls. Opposition parties, including the Congress, have alleged that the process could potentially be used to disenfranchise specific sections of the population or voters perceived to support particular political groups.
The Election Commission and the ruling establishment have faced mounting criticism from opposition parties over the issue, although the allegations remain contested.
Wednesday’s detention was not an isolated incident. Rahul Gandhi was also detained by Delhi Police on Tuesday while he and several other opposition leaders were marching towards the Election Commission’s office and later staging a demonstration outside Akashvani Bhavan.
The repeated detentions within two days have intensified debate across India’s political landscape, with opposition parties vowing to continue their campaign against the Election Commission.
Gandhi has maintained that preventing opposition lawmakers from meeting election officials amounts to an attempt to silence their concerns. Police action, meanwhile, has been viewed as part of efforts to maintain public order during the demonstrations.
The latest protest and detentions have brought the growing political confrontation over electoral-roll revisions into sharper focus, with questions over the neutrality of the Election Commission, the transparency of voter lists and the integrity of India’s democratic process continuing to fuel tensions in New Delhi.
Source: Reuters