Police in New Delhi detained opposition lawmakers on Tuesday after they tried to breach barricades on a march calling for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign.
Indian police detained several opposition lawmakers in New Delhi on Tuesday after they tried to breach barricades during a march demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Reuters reported the protest centred on a controversial revision of voter lists.
The Hindu said INDIA bloc MPs, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, set out from the Parliament House complex and were stopped on Parliament Street, where they sat in protest. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Akhilesh Yadav and other party leaders joined the march.
Opposition parties argue the revised rolls favour Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party. Reuters said the march comes midway through Modi's third term and months after protests that led to an education minister's resignation over exam-paper leaks.
Rahul Gandhi wrote on X, as quoted by The Hindu, "Gyanesh it's done bro. Time to resign." Marchers carried placards and the national flag. Some sat outside the commission area and asked to meet Kumar.
The reports available on Tuesday did not record a resignation or a meeting with the commissioner. Police maintained barricades and road closures around the short route from parliament toward the Election Commission headquarters.
People Sentiments Negative
- Rahul Gandhi posted that it was time for Gyanesh Kumar to resign.
- Marchers accused the ruling party of taking away the right to vote, Reuters reported.