Many opposition MPs detained after protest seeking poll panel chief's ouster
This story was originally published at 16:45 IST on 6 October 2026
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NEW DELHI – Several Members of Parliament from opposition parties were detained here Tuesday as they staged a sit-in protest after police barricades stopped their march towards the Election Commission of India headquarters from Parliament's Makar Dwar. These leaders were demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over alleged "vote theft" and irregularities involved in the special intensive revision of electoral rolls.
The police stopped the march near Akashvani Bhawan and leaders of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, including Indian National Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, staged a dharna before being detained. Slogans of "Vote chor gaddi chhod," could be heard amid heavy security deployment and barricading on Rafi Marg in Central Vista.
Rahul Gandhi, who led the protest, climbed the barricades and waved the tricolour. The Gandhi sibling duo later breached the gates of Akashvani Bhawan in a failed attempt to reach the election commission headquarters.
Besides the Congress, the march saw participation from several Opposition parties, including All India Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), and Rashtriya Janata Dal. Some prominent names include Abhishek Banerjee, Mahua Moitra, Akhilesh Yadav, Sanjay Raut, and Arvind Sawant.
Security arrangements were beefed up Tuesday around the Parliament and the Election Commission headquarters, with personnel from the Delhi Police, Sashastra Seema Bal, Rapid Action Force, and Central Industrial Security Force visible in large numbers. Barricades and traffic diversion triggered slow-moving traffic across several stretches in Central Delhi. The Delhi Traffic Police had issued an advisory in view of the special arrangements from 0800 IST. End
Reported by Shakshi Jain
Edited by Shubhayan Bhattacharya
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