Indian opposition MPs detained in election protest
Bbc · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Police in Delhi detained several opposition lawmakers on Tuesday as they marched from parliament towards the Election Commission headquarters to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over a controversial voter roll revision. After being taken away in police buses and released shortly afterwards, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and other MPs resumed their protest with a sit-in near the commission’s office. The dispute has become the latest flashpoint between Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and opposition parties, which accuse the Election Commission of running a process that could benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party, an allegation rejected by both the BJP and the commission.
Key Points
- Security officials blocked roads between India’s parliament and the Election Commission headquarters in Delhi, while police stationed officers at multiple points to stop marchers.
- Delhi police said some MPs tried alternative routes to reach the commission building and were picked up in buses and taken to different police stations.
- The opposition said 237 MPs from multiple parties joined the march, which SCMP described as roughly 1km through central Delhi from parliament.
- Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called the Election Commission “a puppet in the hands of the government” and said the opposition was fighting to save democracy.
- The row centres on the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, which began in Bihar in June 2025 before expanding elsewhere.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers tracking Asian politics, the episode shows how disputes over election administration can quickly become a wider test of institutional credibility and political legitimacy. It also adds pressure on Modi midway through his third term, after earlier protests had already forced the resignation of his education minister over exam paper leaks.