New Delhi, October 6: A dramatic scene unfolded in the national capital on Tuesday when Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi climbed atop a police barricade during an INDIA bloc protest march towards the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters.
The INDIA bloc MPs had started a march from Parliament towards Nirvachan Sadan, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The protesters were stopped by security personnel on Parliament Street, near the NITI Aayog office, on the stretch leading towards the Election Commission headquarters.
As security personnel prevented the opposition MPs from moving further, Rahul Gandhi was seen climbing over the barricades and waving the Tricolour. The visuals of the Congress leader standing on the barricade quickly became a major highlight of the protest.
Following the stoppage of the march, several opposition MPs sat on the road and staged a dharna. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, TMC leaders Abhishek Banerjee and Derek O’Brien, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and other INDIA bloc leaders were among those participating in the demonstration.
The opposition parties have been protesting over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and have raised questions regarding the Election Commission’s handling of voter registration and revision procedures. Their march on Tuesday was specifically aimed at pressing their demand for CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
The protest took place amid heavy security deployment and extensive barricading around Parliament and the Election Commission headquarters. After being stopped, the MPs continued their demonstration near Parliament Street.
In a post on X during the protest, Rahul Gandhi wrote, “Gyanesh it’s done bro. Time to resign.” The opposition has said it will continue raising the issue of electoral-roll revisions and its concerns about the functioning of the poll panel.
The Election Commission, however, has maintained that decisions related to the SIR exercise were taken unanimously and has rejected suggestions of differences within the three-member poll body.
