Delhi police detain opposition leaders Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi

(Web Desk): Several senior opposition leaders, including Congress’s Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, were detained by Delhi Police on Monday during a protest against the Election Commission’s alleged collusion with the ruling BJP.

The protest, organized by the INDIA bloc, began outside Parliament and quickly spilled into the streets of central Delhi, prompting police intervention. Visuals showed a large group of politicians and supporters waving placards, shouting slogans, and attempting to breach police barricades. One video showed Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav climbing over two barricades.

Speaking to reporters while being escorted into a police vehicle, Rahul Gandhi stated, “This fight is not political; it is to save the Constitution. It’s about ‘one person, one vote’.”

Joint Commissioner of Police Deepak Purohit confirmed the detentions but did not provide an exact number. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police Devesh Kumar Mahla, the opposition had police permission for only 30 MPs to march to the Election Commission to file a complaint. However, over 200 leaders and workers turned up.

“To prevent a law and order issue, we stopped the march and detained those involved. Some MPs tried jumping barricades and were also detained,” said DCP Mahla.

The detained leaders were taken to a nearby police station. The incident has sparked sharp criticism from opposition leaders, who claim it is yet another attempt to silence democratic dissent ahead of key elections.