New Delhi, Aug 11 — Delhi Police on Monday detained over 30 opposition MPs, including Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, during a protest march to the Election Commission (EC) office over alleged irregularities in the ongoing special intensive revision of electoral rolls.
The detainees also included Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut and Trinamool Congress leader Sagarika Ghose, officials said. Police stated that while the EC had allowed only 30 MPs to enter its premises, the protesters arrived in “large numbers” without formal permission for a march.
“The MPs have been informed that only 30 MPs are allowed to go to the Election Commission. We will take them there once we get their names from the EC,” a senior police officer said.
The opposition leaders had planned to march from Makar Dwar in Parliament to the EC office to hand over a memorandum on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) issue, which they allege is being used to manipulate voter rolls ahead of elections, particularly in Bihar.
Congress leaders also linked the protest to their demand for an investigation into alleged large-scale manipulation of voter lists in Bengaluru’s Mahadevapura constituency during the 2023 Assembly polls.
Police said the detained MPs were taken to the Parliament Street Police Station. Security was heightened near the EC headquarters, with multiple barricades along the route, quick reaction teams, and additional patrol vehicles deployed to maintain order and ensure smooth traffic flow.
