Congress MP and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Thursday, sharpened his attack on the Union government and the Election Commission (EC), saying Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the entire system will be brought to justice.

Gandhi’s remarks came almost a day after he was detained during an Opposition protest near Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, as the INDIA bloc escalated its campaign over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise of the electoral rolls and its allegations of ‘vote chori (vote theft).’

In a strongly-worded post uploaded on his official ‘X’ handle, Gandhi expressed gratitude towards the INDIA bloc MPs for standing with the Opposition ‘in defence of our democracy’ both inside Parliament and on the streets.

His post read, “They can stop a march. They can refuse a meeting. But they cannot stop the will of our people,” adding that Modi, Shah, Gyanesh Kumar and all the elements of the existing system would be brought to justice.

Rahul Gandhi, sister Priyanka detained during protest

On Wednesday, Gandhi and his sister, as well as Congress MP, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, along with 90 people, were detained by Delhi Police after Opposition leaders were stopped while marching towards Jantar Mantar for a planned protest.

Both the leaders were taken to separate locations. Gandhi was taken to the Barakhamba Police station, while Priyanka was taken to Chhatrasal Stadium. Subsequently, both of them were released after 8 pm. The Opposition leaders and Congress workers were travelling in buses when cops intercepted them near a roundabout close to the Shangri-La hotel in Central Delhi. They then staged a sit-in at the spot itself.

Priyanka Gandhi and several female protestors lay on the road carrying copies of the Constitution as security personnel moved in to clear the area. The security personnel removed Gandhi from the site and carried her towards a police bus. Several Congress leaders, including Amarinder Singh, Raja Warring and Udai Bhanu Chib, climbed atop the bus carrying Gandhi, while Mumtaz Patel sat on its bonnet as the cops attempted to move the vehicle.

A large contingent of female cops subsequently removed Priyanka Gandhi and other female protestors from the road and placed them in buses. Priyanka Gandhi said, “This is how they treat members of Parliament who are asking simply to meet the election commissioners,” alleging that MPs were being subjected to force during the protest.

Row erupts over Election Commission and SIR

The latest confrontation came amid a continuing Opposition campaign against the Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The INDIA bloc has accused the poll machinery of irregularities linked to the revision of electoral rolls, while the Election Commission and the BJP have rejected allegations of wrongdoing.

The Opposition’s protests began earlier in the week, with leaders seeking a meeting with election commissioners and demanding action over their concerns regarding the electoral rolls. The protests have since escalated, with the INDIA bloc demanding Kumar’s resignation.

The Congress has also alleged that the police bus carrying Gandhi was punctured near Agrasen Ki Baoli after tyres were damaged. According to the party, Gandhi was subsequently shifted to another police bus and taken to the Barakhamba police station. The detentions came a day after Delhi Police registered an FIR against Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and their supporters over allegations that they forcibly entered Akashvani Bhawan during a protest on October 6.

The October 6 march was planned from Parliament House to the Election Commission office. Delhi Police said no application seeking permission for the march had been submitted to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi, and no permission had been granted. The following day, the Opposition again sought to reach Jantar Mantar but was stopped before reaching the designated protest venue.

Gandhi has vowed that the agitation will continue, saying the Opposition would keep pressing its demand until Kumar resigns. The INDIA bloc’s protests entered a third day on Thursday, with opposition MPs continuing their campaign against the Chief Election Commissioner and the SIR exercise.