New Delhi: The Delhi Police Wednesday registered a First Information Report against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, his sister and Member of Parliament Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and other INDIA Bloc leaders for entering Akashvani Bhawan without permission in Central Delhi Tuesday.
Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi Tuesday led a march of some 300 MPs from Parliament House to the office of the Election Commission that ended in a sit-in protest at Akashvani Bhawan, adjacent to the Election Commission’s office, and finally the detention of a host of Opposition leaders.
A senior police officer said that legal action has been taken against the protesters following a complaint received over unauthorised entry inside the Akashvani Bhawan. “A case has been registered under relevant sections, investigation into the matter is underway,” he said.
The Delhi Police and personnel of other security forces had late Tuesday forcefully cleared out Opposition leaders from in and around Akashvani Bhawan. Senior leaders, including Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Mahua Moitra, and others had been packed into police buses and sent to Kingsway Camp. All were released before midnight.
On Wednesday, senior Congress leaders slammed the FIR. MP Jairam Ramesh took to X to write, “Crores of genuine voters have lost their Constitutional right to vote through the atrocious process of SIR—Shahenshah Instigated Removal. And when the LOP-LS adopts the method of satyagraha to highlight the injustices of SIR, the Delhi Police registers an FIR against him and other leaders. The diabolical duo is nervous, rattled and desperate. The writing on the wall is clear.”
For almost two years now the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has been relentlessly exposing, through factual evidence, the Vote Chori conspiracy hatched between the PM & the HM on one side and the CEC on the other.
Crores of genuine voters have lost…
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 7, 2026
By Tuesday night, as the dust settled on the breathless media coverage of the day-long battle, both the Election Commission and Delhi Police maintained that the march as well its stated motive did not follow the rules.
The Delhi Police said some 260 individuals, including 10 Members of Parliament (MPs), were detained and taken to various police stations in Delhi, where necessary legal action is being taken against them.
Opposition leaders, students and civil activists have been demanding the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of voter fraud. Tuesday’s protest was another chapter in the protests against the CEC, which began from the Jantar Mantar area on Gandhi Jayanti. Protesters and elected representatives poured onto the streets of central Delhi, demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and cancellation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Police disrupt sit-in protest
Leading political figures associated with the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) Bloc had called for a protest march from the Parliament House to the Election Commission, with the stated aim of meeting CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the two other Election Commissioners, but were stopped midway.
According to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, around 300 MPs from both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha had joined the protest. The Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force had deployed enough personnel around the area to deal with the action, thoroughly barricading the entire stretch. It just didn’t allow the protesters to walk through.
By 7.30 pm , the Delhi Police and its vehicles had completely sealed off the area near Akashvani Bhawan, and begun the process of removing the political leaders from the site of their continuing protest. Even as leaders were being removed one by one, the Delhi Police continued making announcements regarding prohibitory orders in place.
Police sources said the detainees were being taken to New Police Lines at Kingsway Camp.
Trinamool leader Mahua Moitra was also detained by the police. “Manhandled by Delhi cops, bundled into bus, being taken to Kingsway Camp. We will not stop till Gyanesh chor leaves. Indians unite—it is time to come onto the streets. We didn’t remove British by approaching courts, Gandhiji hit the streets,” she said, in a post on X, sharing a video with other protesters.
Ashok Malik, a Congress worker from Hisar, asked ThePrint, “why do people have to protest, to fight for their rights?” He said, “Farmers had to protest, wrestlers had to protest, even our students had to protest. Now, we are out to protest to safeguard our rights — the voting right.” Malik said their demand was for the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar. “The country runs on the Constitution, nothing else,” he added.
“If we are not allowed to protest, then we will have district-wise protests. The entire country will see protests from every town. We live in a democracy and we will be heard,” Malik added.
For another Congress worker from Rohtak, not being allowed to protest, “is murdering democracy.” She said, “Every single citizen of this country has a right to vote. The BJP has stolen those votes, and have managed to make the governments. But people have woken up. They are now asking questions. They demand answers as to why their votes were deleted. If the people of the country can demand the resignation of an education minister, they can demand the same for the prime minister, home minister, and the Chief Election Commissioner too.”
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Election Commission of India responds
While the INDIA Bloc decided to meet the election commissioners, the panel said in a press statement that they had learnt through the media that some MPs wished to meet the commission along with their delegation. “It is clarified that, till 4 pm today, no political party, through its representatives, had sought an appointment for a meeting with the Election Commission,” the statement said.
Further, the Election Commission said, at around 4 pm, information was received from the Delhi Police that a delegation of MPs, led by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi wished to meet the commission and submit a memorandum.
It was in 2025 that the Election Commission had laid down a procedure for meetings with political parties. All political parties have been informed of the same and they follow this procedure. Whenever a delegation of a political party, or a joint delegation of several parties, wishes to meet the commission, it seeks an appointment through a duly authorised representative. The meeting is thereafter held at a time mutually agreed upon by both sides.
The statement said, after 4.00 PM on Tuesday, when the commission “was considering the above proposal for the above-mentioned meeting” with the MPs, it was informed by the “Deputy Commissioner of Police, Delhi Police, that the meeting being sought was to be held with a group of 240 MPs and that the proposed venue was the Parliament House Annexe”.
“The Election Commission considered this request as unusual and therefore, could not be accepted, as, in accordance with ECI protocol, such meetings are held only on the premises of the Election Commission of India.”
It went on to say that the poll panel had proposed that its seniormost officer on duty could be sent to the meeting venue to receive the memorandum of the MPs, which in itself would have been an unprecedented step. “However, this offer was also declined by the Hon’ble MPs,” it said.
Delhi Police: No permission sought
After the protesting leaders were removed from the Akashvani Bhawan, the Delhi Police said in a statement said that they received information through social media that the INDIA Bloc will be taking out a march from Parliament House to the office of the Election Commission (ECI) on October 6, at around 10.30 am.
“No application for permission to hold the proposed march was submitted to the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi District. Therefore, no permission was granted for the proposed march,” said the Delhi Police.
In view of the proposed gathering and the possibility of violation of the prohibitory orders imposed under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita in the New Delhi area, necessary security arrangements were made to maintain law and order, control the movement of the crowd and prevent any untoward incident, the police said.
The march began around 10.30 a.m. Protesters broke through the first barricade erected by the police and proceeded to reach a second barricade near the NITI Aayog. The police made repeated announcements informing protesters of the prohibitory restrictions, urging them to disperse peacefully. “Despite this, protesters disobeyed police instructions and remained there,” they added.
“In response to continued disregard for lawful instructions and to control the situation and maintain law and order, the police detained the protesters in accordance with law. Approximately 260 individuals, including 10 Members of Parliament, were detained and taken to various police stations in Delhi, where necessary legal action is being taken against them,” said the police.
Most of the protesters then left. “However, Mr. Rahul Gandhi, Ms. Priyanka Gandhi, Mr. K.C. Venugopal, Mr. Pawan Khera, Mr. Manish Chhatrath, and approximately 50-60 supporters entered the Akashvani Bhavan complex without permission and sat down,” said the police.
Rahul Gandhi refused to leave the All India Radio premises and said he would not leave until the delegation of MPs was given time to meet the Election Commission (ECI), the police added.
“To maintain law and order and prevent the situation from escalating further, the Delhi Police had to take action to remove the protesters. During this action, Mr. Rahul Gandhi, Ms. Priyanka Gandhi, and other protesters were removed from the premises and detained as necessary,” said the police. The action was carried out in accordance with the law, with law and order and public safety being prioritised, they added.
The Delhi Police said they have made adequate security and law and order arrangements in the area. The situation is being continuously monitored. All concerned are urged to maintain peace and follow the lawful instructions issued by the police.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)