Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi detained after 8-hour sit-in outside Akashvani Bhawan during INDIA bloc march

The political temperature rose in Delhi on Tuesday as the opposition held a sit-in. The INDIA bloc's march towards the headquarters of the Election Commission of India (ECI) was stopped midway by the police. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra then sat on a dharna outside Akashvani Bhawan for more than eight hours.

Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, who were demanding the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, were finally detained by the Delhi Police. The police used force, according to the source. A video has surfaced of Rahul Gandhi being dragged onto a bus. The Congress then issued a direct warning to the Modi government: "Everything will be remembered, the fight to save democracy will continue."

INDIA bloc leaders had marched from Parliament House to the ECI headquarters on Tuesday. Their demands were that Gyanesh Kumar be removed, the SIR process be scrapped entirely, and the coming elections be held with ballot papers instead of EVMs. Citing security, the police closed the roads leading to Jantar Mantar, Akashvani Bhawan and the ECI headquarters, and imposed Section 144 in several areas.

Hundreds of NSUI workers also reached the area around Akashvani Bhawan. When the workers tried to enter the building, there was heavy jostling between them and the police. In the commotion, the police put several senior leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, KC Venugopal, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Pawan Khera, on a bus and detained them.

Speaking to the media near Akashvani Bhawan, Rahul Gandhi targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Rahul Gandhi said, "Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have hijacked the whole country and we are only trying to protect the Constitution. Why are we being stopped from going to the Election Commission office? Fair elections are expected from Gyanesh Kumar, but he is working to end democracy at the behest of the RSS and the BJP."

Questioning the police action at Jantar Mantar, Rahul asked the police, "If the police are removing us from here, where do we sit? Jantar Mantar, India Gate or straight on the road?"

The Congress had sent an official letter to the Chief Election Commissioner and the two Election Commissioners seeking a joint meeting, to open a channel of talks with the Commission. According to Congress sources, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was in constant touch with the Home Secretary on the matter. Priyanka Gandhi had made it clear that their agitation would continue until the Election Commission gave them time to meet.

The Congress's condition was that the Commission should not meet just four or five leaders but a delegation of all 300 INDIA bloc MPs together. Rahul Gandhi had said the agitation would be withdrawn only if the Commission assured that it would meet all these MPs within the next one or two days. Before that, however, the police acted and detained all the leaders.

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav also made serious allegations against the Election Commission. He said the Commission was no longer an autonomous body and was functioning directly like a wing of the BJP. A scene of Rahul Gandhi looking out of the window as he was taken away in the bus was captured on camera. Congress workers across the country are now angry, and INDIA bloc leaders have indicated their intention to intensify this fight to protect democracy and the Constitution.

In its explanation, the Election Commission said that it was still considering the proposal for a meeting with MPs after 4 pm today when the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Delhi Police informed it that the proposed meeting was to involve a group of 240 MPs and was to be held at the Parliament House Annexe. The Commission found the request unusual and unacceptable, as under the established procedure such meetings must be held at the premises of the ECI. The Commission offered to send its most senior executive officer to the venue to receive a memorandum from the MPs. According to the Commission, taking such a step would itself have been unprecedented, but the MPs rejected this proposal too. The Commission said any political party can request a meeting at any time and the Commission can fix the date and time of such a meeting at its convenience. This is the established procedure, the Commission said.