INDIA bloc demands meeting with CEC Gyanesh Kumar and action over SIR
Our Correspondent / New Delhi
The confrontation between the Opposition and the Election Commission intensified on Tuesday after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several other INDIA bloc leaders were detained by Delhi Police during a march towards the Election Commission headquarters, with the Opposition demanding a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and pressing for his resignation. They were later released.
By evening, Delhi Police moved to clear the protest site after nearly nine hours of demonstrations. Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several other opposition MPs were detained and taken to Delhi Police facilities, including Kingsway Camp. Visuals from the protest showed police personnel physically escorting and removing protesters from the Akashvani Bhawan premises.
According to reports, hundreds of protesters and dozens of MPs were detained during the operation. Leaders from Congress, TMC, Samajwadi Party and Left parties were among those taken into custody
The protest followed an Opposition mobilisation of nearly 240–300 MPs, according to different reports, who marched from Parliament towards Nirvachan Sadan to submit a memorandum on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral roll and related concerns over voter-list changes. The march was stopped by police barricades near the NITI Aayog/Akashvani Bhavan area.
Rahul Gandhi questioned why the Election Commission was unwilling to meet the Opposition delegation, saying that the MPs represented the people. He also demanded accountability from CEC Gyanesh Kumar over what the Opposition describes as irregularities in the electoral-roll revision process.
The Opposition’s protest subsequently turned into a prolonged sit-in at Akashvani Bhavan. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, along with Congress leaders including K.C. Venugopal and Pawan Khera, remained at the site for several hours. After more than nine hours, Delhi Police detained Rahul, Priyanka and other Opposition leaders, bringing the sit-in to an end.
What happened during the march?
The INDIA bloc march included leaders from several Opposition parties. Among those reported to have participated were Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Supriya Sule of the NCP-SP, Abhishek Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress and other INDIA bloc MPs. Protesters carried the national flag and placards targeting the CEC and raised slogans over the voter-list issue.
Tensions rose when Rahul Gandhi climbed a police barricade while holding the Tricolour. Priyanka Gandhi was initially taken towards a police vehicle but later joined Rahul and other leaders near Akashvani Bhavan. Several Opposition MPs and party workers were detained during the day’s events.
The Opposition’s central demands include the **resignation of Gyanesh Kumar, greater transparency in SIR, restoration of voters’ names allegedly removed from electoral rolls and an inquiry into alleged political interference in the electoral process.
EC rejects allegation that it refused a formal meeting
In a statement issued Tuesday evening, the ECI said that no political party had formally sought an appointment with the Commission through its authorised representative before 4 pm. It said that it learnt during the day, including through media reports that Opposition MPs wanted to meet the Commission.
The Commission said Delhi Police subsequently informed it at around 4 pm that a delegation led by Rahul Gandhi wanted to meet and submit a memorandum. According to the ECI, the request involved about 240 MPs seeking a meeting at the Parliament House Annex, rather than at the Election Commission’s premises.
SIR and the wider Opposition campaign
The immediate political dispute is rooted in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls which began in Bihar and has subsequently become a national political issue.
Opposition parties have alleged that the exercise could result in eligible voters being excluded from electoral rolls and have questioned the documentation and verification process. They have also raised questions surrounding **Form 6**, used for voter registration and related electoral-roll procedures.
The Election Commission maintains that SIR is intended to ensure the accuracy and integrity of electoral rolls by identifying duplicate, deceased or otherwise ineligible entries while ensuring that eligible voters can be included. The Commission has also directed officials to register eligible voters who may have been inadvertently left out.
The Form 6 controversy has added another layer to the dispute. The Supreme Court’s recent proceedings concerning the form have become a major point of political argument, with Rahul Gandhi and Congress leaders questioning how and under whose authority changes were made. The ECI has disputed the Opposition’s interpretation and maintained that the prescribed electoral forms continue to govern the process. ([Moneycontrol][3])
BJP’s response
The BJP has rejected the Opposition’s allegations against the Election Commission. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra accused Congress and its allies of attempting to undermine democratic institutions and described the Opposition’s campaign against the poll panel as politically motivated. The BJP has also rejected claims that the Election Commission’s SIR process or Form 6 changes amount to manipulation of elections.
What Next?
The INDIA bloc has indicated that the agitation will continue through nationwide protests, public meetings and parliamentary interventions. Opposition parties are expected to pursue the issue both legally and politically, while pressing for greater transparency in electoral roll revision processes and seeking accountability from the Election Commission leadership.
Assessment: The detention of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi has transformed what began as a dispute over electoral roll revisions into a broader political battle over the credibility of electoral institutions, likely making it a central opposition campaign theme in the coming weeks.
photos Bir Bahadur Yadav