In the Indian capital, Delhi, police detained prominent opposition leaders including Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge, along with over 100 other MPs, during protests against alleged partiality of the Election Commission. The incident occurred on Monday morning (August 11) near the Parliament building, according to NDTV.

The protests were organized by opposition parties, including Congress and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction), accusing the ruling BJP and the Election Commission of colluding to manipulate voter lists and influence election outcomes. The demonstration, initially planned as a march to the Election Commission office, was disrupted as Delhi Police sealed off roads around Parliament, deploying heavy security and barricades.

Police stated that the detentions were necessary to maintain law and order and to ensure smooth traffic flow. Videos and images from the protest site show large numbers of political leaders and activists sitting on roads, waving banners and flags, and engaging in confrontations with law enforcement at barricades.

Opposition leaders have condemned the police action, asserting that the government is suppressing peaceful protests and influencing the Election Commission to engineer electoral fraud. These accusations gained momentum after last year’s Maharashtra elections, with opposition parties alleging that the voter lists were manipulated to secure BJP victories. Similar claims were later raised regarding Karnataka’s Lok Sabha elections.

The standoff led to the adjournment of both Houses of Parliament until 2 PM. The unfolding situation highlights growing tensions over electoral integrity and the independence of India’s election oversight institutions.

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