Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Detained During INDIA Bloc Protest Against CEC in Delhi
New Delhi, 6th October 2026: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were detained by Delhi Police on Tuesday evening during an INDIA bloc protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. They were released from the Kingsway Police Lines around 10 pm, nearly two hours after being detained.
Rahul Gandhi, who had been sitting in protest at the Akashvani premises since around noon, was demanding a meeting with the CEC. When he left the police lines, he displayed a copy of the Constitution to the media before getting into his vehicle.
The detention followed an INDIA bloc march from Parliament towards the Election Commission of India (ECI). Police stopped the march near the Akashvani premises around 12.30 pm, following which Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and other opposition leaders sat in protest.
Delhi Police said no application had been submitted seeking permission for the march. According to the police, information about the proposed march was received through social media and arrangements were made in view of the possibility of a violation of prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
Police said repeated announcements were made asking the protesters to leave peacefully, but they continued to remain at the site. Around 260 people, including 10 MPs, were detained and taken to different police stations for necessary legal action, according to the police.
The Election Commission, meanwhile, said that no political party had formally sought an appointment with the Commission through its representatives until 4 pm. The Commission said Delhi Police had informed it that Rahul Gandhi wanted to meet the election commissioners along with other MPs.
Rahul Gandhi claims 300 MPs were stopped
Rahul Gandhi claimed that more than 300 Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs had come to meet CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the other election commissioners but were prevented from reaching the Commission’s office.
He said the opposition was seeking answers on issues concerning the electoral process and questioned the significance of democracy if elected representatives could not meet the Election Commission.
The INDIA bloc’s protest included demands for the resignation of the CEC, greater transparency in electoral rolls, reconsideration of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, and a return to ballot papers instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Opposition leaders have alleged irregularities in the electoral process, including concerns over voter-list revisions. These claims have been rejected by the Election Commission, which has maintained that the electoral process is governed by established legal and procedural safeguards.
Kharge, Akhilesh and other opposition leaders join protest
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the protest concerned the rights of young people, women, farmers and economically weaker sections, while alleging that the electoral process was being affected.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the Election Commission should listen to the opposition if it believed it was acting impartially.
RJD MP Manoj Jha questioned whether elections could be conducted fairly under the present CEC and supported the opposition’s demand for greater institutional accountability.
Several other INDIA bloc leaders and MPs participated in the march and subsequent protest.
Police remove protesters from Akashvani premises
As the protest continued through the evening, Delhi Police increased its deployment around the Akashvani premises. Security personnel, including women police personnel and Central Reserve Police Force personnel, were deployed in the area.
Police officials spoke to Priyanka Gandhi and appealed to the protesters to end the demonstration. The protesters, however, refused to leave.
Later in the evening, police removed the protesters from the premises and detained Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and other opposition leaders. Visuals showed police personnel attempting to escort the leaders into buses amid protests from supporters.
The detention triggered further confrontation when Congress workers gathered near the Kingsway Camp, where the detained leaders were taken. Priyanka Gandhi was later seen climbing over a gate at the camp.
The protest was the latest in a series of demonstrations by opposition parties in Delhi and Mumbai against CEC Gyanesh Kumar over their allegations concerning electoral rolls and the election process.
