Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is detained and taken away in a police van during an INDIA bloc protest march towards the Election Commission of India (EC) office, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, at Akashvani Bhavan, in New Delhi, on Tuesday (October 6).
LIVE | Rahul, other Congress leaders released by Delhi Police after detention
Hours after the INDIA bloc MPs marched towards the EC office and staged a day-long protest, the poll panel said no political party sought an appointment through its authorised representatives for a meeting with it till 4 pm
Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders, who were detained after their over-eight-hour sit-in inside the Akashvani Bhawan premises, were released by the Delhi Police a little after 10 pm on Tuesday (October 6), the opposition party said.
High drama unfolded during the INDIA Bloc protest in New Delhi on Tuesday evening (October 6) after Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and others, were detained and taken away from the Akashvani Bhavan premises after their over eight-hour sit-in protest.
Police forcibly removed Rahul, Priyanka and Congress MPs and leaders, including K C Venugopal, Pawan Khera, K Suresh, Amarinder Singh, Raja Warring and Imran Pratapgarhi, as the All India Radio (AIR) premises were cleared of all protesting MPs.
Rahul had earlier entered the AIR premises on Parliament Street and started the dharna after police thwarted an attempt by opposition MPs to march towards the Election Commission office, barely 300 metres away, over the "vote chori" charge.
Also read: Six things to watch as SC examines EC’s decisions
The march by INDIA bloc leaders was the latest in a series of protests by politicians and civil activists calling for Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar's resignation after a September 25 Indian Express report suggested irregularities in the SIR process and differences among the election commissioners.
What EC said
Hours after the INDIA bloc MPs marched towards the EC office and staged a day-long protest, the poll panel on Tuesday evening said no political party sought an appointment through its authorised representatives for a meeting with it till 4 pm.
"Till 4 PM today, no political party, through its representatives, had sought an appointment for a meeting with the Election Commission," it said in a statement.
Around 4 pm, the Commission received information from Delhi Police that a delegation of MPs led by Gandhi wanted to meet it and submit a memorandum.
The EC said it had laid down a procedure for meetings with political parties in 2025, under which a delegation of a political party or a joint delegation of several parties seeks an appointment through its duly authorised representative.
The Commission said it respected parliamentary and democratic processes as well as its own protocols and conventions.
"Any political party may, at any time, request a meeting with the Election Commission," the poll panel said.
Rahul climbs atop police barricade
Earlier, they tried to march to the EC headquarters and entered the Akashvani Bhavan premises in a bid to reach the poll body’s office. After being prevented from proceeding further, they sat on the road in protest, around 200 metres from the EC office. Soon Rahul and TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee climbed atop a police barricade, while Priyanka was taken to an awaiting bus for being detained. However, she soon got off it and joined her brother at the Akashvani gate.
Also read | SC clarification on Form 6 gives Oppn fresh ammo against CEC day before EC office rally
While Rahul, Priyanka, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, and TMC's Derek O’Brien and Abhishek were detained briefly, Rahul and Priyanka resumed their sit-in inside Akashvani Bhavan after being released. The Gandhi siblings and Deepinder Hooda entered the Akashvani Bhavan premises from the reception gate. They were later seen sitting under a tree.
Security was stepped up around the area, with multiple barricades put up and a Vajra vehicle and drones deployed to monitor the protest. Opposition MPs carried cutouts depicting Kumar in an RSS uniform and raised slogans, including “Vote chor, gaddi chhod” and “Democracy not for sale”. In a post on X, Rahul posted, “Gyanesh it's done bro. Time to resign".
The MPs first gathered at Parliament's Makar Dwar before heading to Nirvachan Sadan, the EC headquarters. Ahead of the march, they questioned the security arrangements and stepped up their demand for CEC Kumar's resignation, citing the Supreme Court's observations on changes to Form 6, the statutory application for enrolment as a voter. Congress MP Imran Masood accused Kumar of eroding public trust in the EC.
Also read | Six things to watch as SC examines EC’s decisions
The INDIA bloc MPs earlier announced that they would also meet President Droupadi Murmu to raise concerns over the SIR exercise. The protest call over the SIR exercise was issued after a meeting of 19 Opposition parties on September 30. The EC, however, has rejected allegations of a split among its three-member body and maintained that decisions relating to SIR were taken unanimously.
Scroll below for Live updates.
Live Updates
- 6 Oct 2026 2:57 PM IST
“Gyanesh Kumar is scared,” says Rahul amid Opposition protest
Rahul Gandhi alleged that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar was “scared” to meet around 300 Opposition MPs who marched towards the Election Commission in New Delhi on Tuesday.
“300 Opposition MPs want to meet Gyanesh Kumar, but he is scared. What is happening in the country? What is the meaning of democracy if the Election Commission doesn't meet the elected representatives?” Rahul said.
Rahul said the MPs had sought a meeting with Kumar and the other Election Commissioners but were stopped by police.
“Around 300 MPs wanted to meet the Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the two ECs, but we have been stopped here by the police,” he added.
He questioned why elected representatives were being prevented from reaching the poll panel when its office was only 50 metres away.
“We are elected representatives, but we don't know why we have been stopped here. We can't understand the problem—when the Election Commission is merely 50 metres away,” Rahul said.
He then accused the BJP and its senior leaders of undermining democracy and alleged that Kumar had helped them through what he called “vote chori”.
“We are not only countering them (BJP); we will destroy them,” Rahul said.
“I am standing here to save democracy in India,” he added.
- 6 Oct 2026 2:45 PM IST
Rahul asks why EC isn’t meeting Opposition MPs
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi questioned why the Election Commissioners were not meeting more than 300 Opposition MPs who marched from Parliament to the Election Commission in New Delhi on Tuesday.
In a post on X, Rahul said the MPs had marched to meet the poll panel and represented crores of Indians.
“More than 300 Opposition MPs marched from Parliament to the Election Commission today to meet the Election Commissioners,” Rahul said.
“Why aren't the Election Commissioners meeting us?” he asked.
The remarks come amid the INDIA bloc’s protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Election Commission over the revision of electoral rolls. Opposition leaders have also alleged that police stopped them from reaching the poll panel’s office.
Rahul also questioned the police action during the march.
“Why is the police stopping and threatening us?” he said.
- 6 Oct 2026 2:35 PM IST
INDIA Bloc march causes traffic snarls across Lutyens’ Delhi
Barricades, traffic diversions and security restrictions caused major traffic disruptions in Lutyens’ Delhi on Tuesday as the INDIA bloc marched towards the Election Commission.
Traffic moved slowly on roads around India Gate, Connaught Place, Parliament Street and Jantar Mantar, with vehicles stuck in long queues amid diversions and intermittent stoppages, reported the Hindustan Times.
- 6 Oct 2026 2:31 PM IST
Congress leaders allege police blocked march to ECI
Congress leaders Manickam Tagore and Kumari Selja alleged that police stopped Opposition leaders from marching towards the Election Commission in New Delhi.
Tagore said heavy police deployment was preventing the leaders from reaching the ECI and alleged that the government was trying to protect Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
"We are not allowed to march to the Election Commission just because Amit Shah wants to save Gyanesh Kumar as he helped Amit Shah. Heavy police is deployed, stopping us from going towards the Election Commission. Even the Leader of Opposition of this country is not allowed to go to the Election Commission. This is unfortunate, anti-democratic," Tagore told reporters as quoted by the Hindustan Times.
Selja also said Opposition leaders were being stopped from marching to the ECI.
"We are not allowed to march towards the ECI. The LoP is not allowed to raise his voice. This is an attempt to weaken democracy," she said.
- 6 Oct 2026 2:27 PM IST
Police order NSUI, Youth Congress workers to vacate Akashvani Bhavan
A police official on Tuesday ordered Indian Youth Congress and NSUI workers gathered outside Akashvani Bhavan to vacate the area, citing prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS.
The official said any assembly at the spot was illegal and warned that those who failed to comply would be detained.
- 6 Oct 2026 2:21 PM IST
CJP founder Abhijit Dipke alleges police notices ahead of Delhi Agitation
Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke on Tuesday alleged that CJP activists had received police notices “pressuring” them not to take part in the party’s proposed agitation in New Delhi on October 10, reported the Hindustan Times.
Dipke also targeted the BJP-led government over the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal, claiming that the slogan was being used to push what he described as “one nation, one political party”.
His allegations came as INDIA bloc leaders marched towards the Election Commission in New Delhi, seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
- 6 Oct 2026 2:18 PM IST
Ramesh says CEC Gyanesh Kumar ‘cannot stay in office any longer’
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of violating the Constitution and said he should no longer remain in office.
“This whole campaign is to highlight the fact that a constitutional functionary, the Chief Election Commissioner, has violated the Constitution in letter and spirit. He has lied to the Supreme Court. He has lied to the country. Clearly, he cannot stay in office any longer,” Ramesh told news agency ANI during the INDIA bloc’s protest against the Election Commission.
- 6 Oct 2026 2:03 PM IST
NSUI, Youth Congress protesters detained inside Akashvani Bhavan
A few National Students’ Union of India and Indian Youth Congress protesters were detained after entering Akashvani Bhavan, as Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra remained outside the premises.
The two Congress leaders were stopped by police during the INDIA bloc’s protest march to the Election Commission, with the protesters seeking to reach the poll body’s office, India Today reported.
- 6 Oct 2026 2:00 PM IST
“Was that victory illegitimate?”: Shivraj's dig at Rahul Gandhi
The BJP on Tuesday criticised the INDIA bloc MPs’ march to the Election Commission seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, calling it another attempt by the Congress and its allies to create disorder and revive Rahul Gandhi’s political campaign.
Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the Opposition was using allegations against constitutional bodies to vent its frustration over electoral defeats and damage their credibility.
“Friends in the opposition, the very system you are questioning is the one under which you won in Kerala. Was that victory illegitimate? You won in Karnataka. Was that victory illegitimate? You won in Himachal. Opposition governments were formed in Punjab and Jharkhand; were those victories illegitimate?” Chouhan asked, as quoted by the Hindustan Times.
- 6 Oct 2026 1:43 PM IST
Pawan Khera: Rahul not allowed to reach ECI, 100m away
Congress MP Pawan Khera said Rahul Gandhi was stopped from proceeding to the Election Commission despite its office being around 100 metres from Akashvani Bhavan, where Opposition MPs were protesting.
“Even though the office of the Election Commission of India is only 100 meters away from here, LoP, Lok Sabha is not being allowed to go there; He has been stopped here,” Khera said.
Khera said the MPs would remain on the premises and questioned the state of democracy in the national capital. He also said Opposition MPs represented 64% of the country’s population.
“We are all sitting in protest here in the premises of Akashvani. This is the state of democracy in the national capital. We will continue to wait here,” he said.
“You can say that 64% of the country is out on the roads in the national capital today. You can see how they are being stopped,” Khera added.
