In a dramatic late-night escalation in New Delhi, Delhi Police detained Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra late Tuesday night (October 6, 2026). The detentions followed a intense nine-hour sit-in demonstration outside Akashvani Bhavan, demanding the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged widespread voter list manipulation.
Alongside Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, over a hundred senior lawmakers and political figures from the opposition INDIA alliance were forcibly taken into custody and loaded into police vans.
Electoral Roll Rigging Allegations: Opposition parties launched fierce criticisms against the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging systematic fraud and mass deletion of opposition-leaning voters during the recent Special Summary Revision (SIR) process.
Mass March from Parliament: On Tuesday afternoon, more than 300 opposition Members of Parliament belonging to the INDIA alliance assembled at Parliament House and marched toward Nirvachan Sadan (ECI Headquarters).
Barricade Clashes on Sansad Marg: Security forces intercepted the march on Sansad Marg using barbed-wire barricades and riot control units. Altercations broke out as several MPs, including Rahul Gandhi, attempted to scale the security barriers.
Akashvani Bhavan Protest & Late-Night Crackdown: Blocked from entering Nirvachan Sadan, opposition leaders led by Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi sat on the pavement outside the adjacent Akashvani Bhavan for an indefinite strike. Following a nine-hour standoff, heavy police contingents cleared the site late Tuesday night and took the leaders into custody.
