Police in India’s capital detained opposition leader Rahul Gandhi for a second day as lawmakers staged an unannounced protest march demanding the resignation of the country’s chief election official. Television footage showed Gandhi being taken away from the protest site in a bus, while women police personnel forcibly removed his sister Priyanka Gandhi. Opposition lawmakers, led by Rahul Gandhi of the Indian National Congress, were stopped as they tried to reach Jantar Mantar, a central Delhi site commonly used for protests.
The surprise march came a day after police blocked them from reaching the Election Commission’s headquarters, triggering an almost nine-hour standoff and temporary detentions. Opposition parties are demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over a contentious revision of voter rolls, alleging that valid voters have been removed in a process that favors Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling party. The Election Commission and Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party have rejected the allegations.
Large parts of central Delhi, especially areas around Parliament and the Election Commission’s headquarters, remain barricaded with heavy deployment of police and paramilitary forces. Security personnel in riot gear are guarding the area, with tear gas and water cannons on standby. Meanwhile, the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party also called for a united mobilization against the chief election commissioner ahead of their Oct. 10 protest, saying the agitation would continue until the electoral system was overhauled.
Source: Bloomberg Markets · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing