New Delhi: A political showdown erupted in the national capital on Tuesday after Delhi Police stopped a march by INDIA bloc MPs to the Election Commission of India (ECI), with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi climbing a police barricade and waving the Tricolour while demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Around 300 opposition MPs had marched from Parliament towards the ECI office as part of the ‘Save Democracy’ campaign, but were stopped on Parliament Marg. Police barricades were erected to prevent the protesters from proceeding further, leading to a confrontation between the opposition leaders and security personnel.

Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were detained and taken into a police bus. They later came out of the bus and moved to the Akashvani Bhavan area, where they staged a sit-in along with other opposition leaders, a few hundred metres from the Election Commission office. Several other opposition leaders were also detained.

Questioning the ECI’s refusal to meet the protesting MPs, Rahul Gandhi said elected representatives of millions of Indians had every right to seek answers from the poll body. “We represent the people. Why are the Election Commissioners not meeting us?” he asked.

Gandhi also launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and CEC Gyanesh Kumar, alleging serious questions had arisen over the electoral process. He claimed that democracy and the Constitution were under threat. The BJP has rejected the opposition’s allegations, setting the stage for an intensifying political confrontation over the functioning of the Election Commission.

The INDIA bloc’s principal demand is the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar as Chief Election Commissioner. The opposition has also sought answers over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, publication of names deleted from the voter lists, mandatory notice and an opportunity to appeal before deletion, and a return to ballot papers for elections.

The protest was part of the INDIA bloc’s nationwide campaign against the SIR exercise and the functioning of the Election Commission. The alliance had announced ‘Save Democracy’ marches across districts between October 2 and 8, culminating in the October 6 protest outside the ECI headquarters in Delhi.

Delhi Police deployed heavy security around Parliament, Parliament Marg, Akashvani Bhavan and the ECI office to prevent the march from reaching its destination. Despite the detention of several leaders, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi continued their sit-in and demanded that the Election Commission meet the opposition delegation.

The confrontation has further escalated the political battle between the government and the opposition over electoral transparency, voter rolls and the autonomy of the Election Commission.