New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Monday detained over 30 opposition MPs, including Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, and TMC’s Sagarika Ghose, during a protest march to the Election Commission (EC) office against the ongoing special intensive revision of electoral rolls.
According to police, only 30 MPs had been granted permission by the EC to enter its premises, but the protest drew far more participants. No request had been made for permission to hold the march itself, officials said. The detained leaders were taken to Parliament Street Police Station.
The opposition had planned to march from Parliament’s Makar Dwar to the EC office to submit a memorandum on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) issue. “We have informed them that only 30 MPs can go to the EC. Once we receive their names from the commission, we will facilitate their visit,” a senior police officer said.
Security was heightened near the EC headquarters, with multiple barricades, heavy police deployment, and quick reaction teams stationed to maintain order, manage traffic, and prevent congestion.
The protest targeted the SIR exercise in Bihar, which opposition parties allege is intended to manipulate electoral rolls ahead of elections. The Congress also raised concerns over alleged large-scale voter list manipulation in Bengaluru’s Mahadevapura constituency during the 2023 Assembly polls.
