Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi’s on Monday took a swipe at the Delhi Police, after INDIA bloc MPs were stopped and detained while attempting to march to the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters amidst protests over Bihar SIR and allegations of vote theft. He further alleged that the ECI was “scared.”
"Hindustan ki democracy ki haalat dekhiye. (Look at the condition of the Indian democracy). 300 MPs wanted to meet the Election Commission to present a document, but they were not allowed. They are scared. What if 300 MPs come and their truth is revealed?” said Rahul Gandhi shortly after being released.
The Congress leader insisted the matter went beyond party politics. “This is for the Constitution and for One Man One Vote,” he said, citing what he claimed was “clear evidence” from Karnataka. “The entire Opposition is united on this. It will be very difficult for the Election Commission to hide now,” he added.
In addition, Gandhi made it clear he would not sign any affidavit to submit evidence to the poll panel. “Arey bhai, unhi ka data hai (It is their own data). It is not my data that I will sign any affidavit. They can put that data into their own website and get to know the details. All this is just to distract from the issue. And let me tell you, this is not limited to Bangalore Central; it has happened in many other constituencies too,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Gandhi joined a protest march from Parliament alongside INDIA bloc leaders from the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and Samajwadi Party amongst others. The march, aimed at opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar and alleging large-scale voter fraud, was intercepted by Delhi Police near Parliament.
The standoff saw dramatic scenes as Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav was spotted jumping over a barricade, while Mahua Moitra and other MPs attempted similar moves. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Sayani Ghosh, Dimple Yadav, Sanjay Singh, and Derek O’Brien were among those detained and taken away in police vans.
Delhi Police said the detentions were made as no formal permission had been sought for the march. Rahul Gandhi later posted on X, thanking fellow INDIA bloc MPs “for standing shoulder to shoulder and fighting with full strength in this movement against vote theft.”
