There was a major ruckus during the INDIA bloc’s ‘Save Democracy March’ in New Delhi on Tuesday. Opposition MPs were marching from Parliament House towards the headquarters of the Election Commission, protesting against the demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and against SIR. However, near Akashvani Bhavan, Delhi Police stopped the march by putting up barricades. Leaders and MPs from around 19 opposition parties, including the Congress, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress and Nationalist Congress Party, participated in the march. Around 150 MPs are said to have taken part in the nearly three-kilometre-long march.
Rahul Gandhi Climbs Barricade
After being stopped by the police near Akashvani Bhavan, a large number of opposition MPs sat down on the road. During this, Rahul Gandhi climbed onto the barricade and opposition leaders raised slogans. Police detained Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and seated them in a bus. However, Rahul Gandhi later got off the bus and walked towards the premises of Akashvani Bhavan. There, he also had an argument with a security guard. Later, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi sat inside the premises. Police continued asking them to leave the area.
Akhilesh Yadav and Abhishek Banerjee Also Detained
During the protest, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav was also detained by Delhi Police. Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee and Derek O’Brien, along with several other opposition leaders, were also detained by the police. The MPs who were detained were seated in buses. Security arrangements had been tightened in Delhi in view of the march. A large number of police personnel were deployed between Parliament House and the Election Commission office.
Rahul Gandhi Targets Gyanesh Kumar
Amid the protest, Rahul Gandhi posted about Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on the social media platform X. He wrote, “Gyanesh, it’s done, brother. Now it’s time to resign.” In his post, Rahul Gandhi also mentioned the ‘Satyagraha’ initiative. He said an effort was being made to bring together on one platform the stories of people across the country who are fighting for their rights and against injustice.
Akhilesh Yadav Targets BJP and CEC
During the march, Akhilesh Yadav launched a sharp attack on the government and the Election Commission. He said, “Those who fight for the country are not afraid of arrest.” Akhilesh Yadav alleged that BJP is the CEC and said that the demand of the country is for the Chief Election Commissioner to resign. He also targeted the government over ‘One Nation, One Election’. Akhilesh alleged that there was a different intention behind this regarding the election process. Taking a jibe, Akhilesh replaced ‘One Nation, One Election’ with ‘Once Corruption, Once Election’.
Security Increased in Delhi
In view of the INDIA bloc’s march, Delhi Police had increased security around Parliament and the Election Commission office. Police stopped the protesters from moving forward by putting up barricades. Opposition MPs remained firm on their demand to proceed to the Election Commission office. After the barricading, there were also several instances of arguments and confrontation between the protesters and the police.