In brief
In a dramatic turn of events, Delhi police detained hundreds of opposition lawmakers as they marched to the Election Commission headquarters, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the contentious voter roll revision. The protest, which saw Rahul Gandhi and other prominent MPs temporarily boarded police buses, highlighted deep mistrust between opposition parties and the election authority. Accusations of bias toward Prime Minister Modi's BJP have led to calls for a complete overhaul of the revision process. The matter has now reached the Supreme Court, which is reviewing evidence that may have seen the CEC acting unilaterally.
Police in Delhi detained several opposition lawmakers as they tried to march demanding the chief election commissioner resign over a controversial voter roll revision.
Detention and Ejection
Main opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, his sister Priyanka and other MPs were forced onto a police bus. After a brief release, they resumed the march and staged a sit‑in near the Election Commission headquarters.
The Voter Roll Controversy
The crux of the dispute lies in the Election Commission's "Special Intensive Revision" of electoral rolls, a programme that purged more than 130 million names nationwide. Opposition parties claim that many eligible voters were wrongly removed, potentially benefiting the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
Political Fallout
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge outlined non‑negotiable demands: Kumar's resignation, cancellation of the SIR exercise and a return to paper ballot voting. BJP MP Sambit Patra criticised the protests, calling them “a sponsored attempt” to disrupt constitutional institutions.
Legal Challenges
The Supreme Court has invited both the federal government and the Election Commission to answer a petition alleging that CEC Kumar made unilateral decisions. While the court declined to suspend him now, it warned that any decision bypassing the commission’s collective process may be set aside.
"Gyanesh, it’s done, bro. Time to resign," mumbled Rahul Gandhi on Twitter.
