The first information report followed a complaint alleging that the Congress leaders, accompanying MPs and supporters entered the government broadcasting complex without permission on Tuesday after police blocked an INDIA bloc march from Parliament towards Nirvachan Sadan, the Election Commission headquarters.
Police said no application seeking permission for the march had been submitted to the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi, and no permission had been granted. The case adds a legal dimension to a confrontation that ended with mass detentions after an hours-long sit-in.
Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were among about 260 people detained on Tuesday evening. Police removed protesters from Akashvani Bhawan at around 8 pm, more than eight hours after the Opposition march encountered barricades in central Delhi. The detained leaders were released later that night.
The protest brought INDIA bloc MPs onto Parliament Street to press allegations of irregularities in electoral rolls and oppose the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision exercise. Opposition parties have accused the poll body of wrongly deleting eligible voters and have demanded Kumar’s removal. The Election Commission has rejected allegations that its electoral-roll work is politically biased.
After police stopped the march near the poll panel’s office, several leaders staged a sit-in. Rahul Gandhi climbed a barricade before he, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and some other leaders entered the Akashvani Bhawan premises. They remained there while other protesters were detained or dispersed.
Gandhi said the MPs wanted to meet the Election Commission and submit their objections. He accused the poll authority of refusing to hear elected representatives and repeated his charge of “vote chori”, or vote theft. The allegation remains contested, and the Election Commission and the Bharatiya Janata Party have denied wrongdoing.
The Election Commission issued a statement at about 9 pm on Tuesday disputing the suggestion that it had refused a properly sought meeting. It said that, until 4 pm, no political party or representative had requested an appointment with the Commission.
The poll body said it learnt through media coverage earlier in the day that some MPs wanted to meet the Commission. At around 4 pm, it said, Delhi Police informed it that a delegation led by Rahul Gandhi wished to meet the commissioners and submit a memorandum.
The Commission said it then conveyed that a delegation could be received, while citing logistical and security constraints on accommodating a large group. The competing accounts became another point of dispute between the Opposition and the poll authority as the demonstration continued into the evening.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other Opposition leaders framed the march as a campaign to defend electoral integrity. The BJP rejected the accusations, arguing that Congress was blaming the Election Commission for its political setbacks rather than substantiating its charges.
Tuesday’s demonstration also produced an unusual security standoff around Akashvani Bhawan. Staff members attempted to prevent protesters from entering, while police repeatedly asked those inside to leave. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra remained with a smaller group in the complex, insisting that they be permitted to proceed to the Election Commission.
Other Opposition figures detained during the wider protest included MPs from parties in the INDIA alliance. Police buses were used to move those detained from the area as Parliament Street remained heavily guarded.
At least 10 MPs were among those detained, according to police accounts. The operation followed repeated warnings to demonstrators to leave the restricted area, while protesters continued demanding access to election officials.
