Opposition MPs Detained in Delhi Protest Over Voter Roll Revision




Opposition MP Rahul Gandhi climbs police barricade in Delhi
Opposition MP Rahul Gandhi climbs a police barricade during the march.



In a dramatic turn of events on Tuesday, Delhi police detained several opposition lawmakers, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, as they marched toward the Election Commission (EC) headquarters to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over a controversial voter‑roll revision.



The detained MPs were routed onto a police bus and briefly held in a local station before being released to continue the march, where they staged a sit‑in outside the EC office. The protest comes four days after a satirical group, the “Cockroach Janta Party”, staged nationwide demonstrations urging the same resignation.



At the heart of the dispute is the EC’s “Special Intensive Revision” (SIR), a nationwide effort begun in Bihar in June 2025 that has so far purged over 130 million names from provisional voter rolls. Critics claim the exercise wrongly excludes eligible voters and favors the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, while the EC insists it cleans duplicates and ineligible entries.



Kumar’s resignation is non‑negotiable,” said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. “We demand the SIR be halted and return to paper ballots.”


The controversy has reached India’s Supreme Court, which has asked the EC and the government to explain whether Kumar acted unilaterally in making key decisions. The court reiterated that decisions must be made unanimously or by majority, and warned that any deviation could be set aside.



BJP leaders branded the protest a “sponsored attempt to overthrow constitutional institutions” and argued the opposition seeks to undermine the EC’s independence. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi mocked the chief election commissioner on Twitter, tweeting, “Gyanesh, it’s done, bro. Time to resign.”



With more protests planned for 10 October, Delhi’s streets are poised to become another battleground in India’s democratic process, as the debate over voter integrity and electoral fairness takes center stage in the world’s largest democracy.