INDIA bloc protest march against EC halted by Delhi police, top leaders including Rahul Gandhi detained

The protest march of the INDIA bloc led by the Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi from the Parliament to the Election Commission headquarters in Delhi, on Monday, was halted shortly after. Delhi Police and their barricades stopped the leaders as they marched towards the EC office, protesting against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar and the alleged "voter theft" during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. 

Several INDIA bloc MPs, including top leaders such as Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, were detained by the police, citing that "they didn't take permission for the protest." Joint Commissioner of Police, New Delhi, Deepak Purohit, confirmed the detentions. He said, "There was no permission for a protest here, but we had intimation. The detained leaders are being taken to the nearby police station. 

The INDIA bloc began with its protest from the Makar Dwar of Parliament around 11:30 am, chanting "vote chor" (vote theft), marching forward to the ECI's Nirvachan Sadan office, when they were stopped by Delhi police personnel and barricades in the way. 

#WATCH | Delhi Police stops INDIA bloc leaders marching from the Parliament to the Election Commission of India to protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar and allegations of "voter fraud" during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. pic.twitter.com/B3yuiL0fJz

— ANI (@ANI) August 11, 2025

New Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Devesh Kumar, however, stated that there was permission for a limited delegation to meet the ECI. He said, "There was a permission of 30 MPs from the Election Commission. Since they were in large numbers, we detained them. We had also informed that 30 MPs will be allowed to meet ECI after we get their names." 

Back in the day, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh had requested an appointment with the ECI around 12 pm. The Election Commission Secretariat had responded, seeking a list of only 30 individuals along with their vehicle numbers due to space constraints at the venue. 

The protest was launched days after Rahul Gandhi addressed a press conference last Thursday, saying that he had an "atom bomb" full of proof against the Election Commission's vote chori. He particularly cited Karnataka and Maharashtra, stating various irregularities like one crore mystery voters, thousands of fake voters, and the refusal of the EC to share voter data.