Dramatic scenes unfolded on Parliament Street on Tuesday as Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Deepender Hooda entered the premises of Akashvani Bhawan after security personnel halted the INDIA bloc’s protest march to the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters.
The Opposition demonstration, organized to demand the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, was intercepted near the Niti Aayog office.
Following the police stoppage, several leaders sat on Parliament Street in protest:
- Barricade Scaling: Rahul Gandhi and TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee climbed atop police barriers, waving the national flag and addressing demonstrators.
- Detention Escaped: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was initially placed inside a police detention bus. However, she alighted shortly after to rejoin her brother on the street.
- Akashvani Gate Entry: Bypassing security lines at Parliament Street, Rahul, Priyanka, and Deepender Hooda entered Akashvani Bhawan through its reception gate and staged a sit-in under a tree inside the complex.
Area Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma arrived at Akashvani Bhawan with additional police forces in an effort to clear the premises and manage the situation.
Throughout the march from Parliament’s Makar Dwar, opposition MPs carried placards and cutouts depicting CEC Gyanesh Kumar in an RSS uniform while chanting slogans including “BJP hai CEC hai” and “Vote chor, gaddi chhod.”
Leading the charge online, Rahul Gandhi posted on X: “Gyanesh it’s done bro. Time to resign.”
Opposition lawmakers continue to cite recent Supreme Court observations regarding changes to Form 6 during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, arguing that the poll chief has compromised the Election Commission’s impartiality.
