INDIA bloc leaders protested against the Election Commission and demanded CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation before being detained after a prolonged sit-in…reports Asian Lite News Desk
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other INDIA bloc leaders were detained by police on Tuesday after staging a more than nine-hour sit-in at Akashvani Bhawan near the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters.
The Opposition leaders were protesting against the ECI and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The protest began with INDIA bloc MPs marching from Parliament towards the ECI headquarters, carrying the Tricolour and banners carrying messages including “Save democracy”.
The leaders raised slogans against the CEC, the BJP and the RSS during the march. Delhi Police and other security personnel were deployed in large numbers, with barricades placed around the ECI office.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several other Opposition leaders were briefly detained after police stopped them from proceeding towards the ECI headquarters.
Rahul Gandhi was stopped by multiple layers of barricades while attempting to move towards the ECI office. He later climbed onto a barricade and waved a large national flag as INDIA bloc leaders and supporters raised slogans.
Speaking to reporters from inside the All India Radio headquarters, Gandhi claimed that around 300 MPs from both Houses of Parliament had been stopped from meeting the Election Commission.
“We wanted to meet Gyanesh Kumar and his two colleagues, but the police have stopped us. We are representatives of this country, and we represent the country’s people,” he said.
He later said the protesters should be given a place in Delhi if they were not allowed to approach the Commission.
“Now, if you are not allowing us to come here either, just give us any place in Delhi where we can sit. We will sit comfortably,” Gandhi said.
“We are protesting. The Constitution of India allows us to protest,” he added.
The protest continued for more than nine hours before the INDIA bloc leaders were detained by police.
