Gyanesh Kumar vs Rahul Gandhi: Why EC rejected INDIA bloc MPs' meeting demand - What do the rules say

Delhi police on Tuesday night temporarily detained Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi to end an almost nine-hour standoff, during a protest seeking the resignation of the Chief Election Commssioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over contentious Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were escorted by the police toward a bus from Akashvani Bhawan premises, after they were barred by hundreds of officers from marching to the election office earlier in the day. The Congress leaders were later released in the night.

Gandhi siblings were seen slipping through the police cordon in an attempt to reach the election commission's office, Nirvachan Sadan in central Delhi, but were prevented from doing so. Some party workers were pushed back by police after trying to follow Gandhi. Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav was separately detained after police blocked the protesters' route. The leaders said they wanted to meet CEC Kumar.

"We represent the voice of the people," Gandhi told reporters at the Akashvani Bhawan were he protested after being denied to march to the poll panel's office.

"I fail to understand why the elected representatives aren't being allowed to protest and go to the Election Commission," he said.

The protest is part of a broader 'Save Democracy' campaign announced by the Opposition, under which its leaders have been holding demonstrations and public programmes against the ECI amid a row over the SIR.

Rahul Gandhi had claimed that about 300 opposition MPs wanted to meet the Election Commissioners to put forth their questions.

Opposition leaders of INDIA bloc are seeking Gyanesh Kumar's ouster and the scrapping of a controversial SIR. More than 13 crore names have been removed from the electoral rolls in a process that opposition groups say has unfairly favoured the BJP, the ruling party at the centre. The poll panel and the Bharatiya Janata Party have denied the claims.

In a statement issued after the Opposition protest, the ECI said it was informed by Delhi Police at around 4 pm that a delegation of about 240 MPs, led by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, wished to meet the Election Commissioners and submit a memorandum at the Parliament House Annexe.

The poll panel said it considered the proposed venue and the manner in which the meeting was sought "unusual" in view of its established protocol.

"Earlier today, during the march of certain political parties towards the Election Commission,it was learnt through the media that some Members of Parliament wished to meet theCommission along with their delegation. With regard to today's developments, it is clarifiedthat, till 4.00 PM today, no political party, through its representatives, had sought anappointment for a meeting with the Election Commission," the ECI said in the statement.

"Thereafter, at around 4.00 PM, information was received from Delhi Police that a delegationof MPs, led by the Hon'ble Leader of the Opposition, Shri Rahul Gandhi, wished to meet theCommission and submit a memorandum," the statement read.

Detailing the established procedure for meetings with political parties, the ECI said it had laid down the protocol in 2025 and informed all political parties about it.

"In 2025, the Election Commission of India had laid down a procedure for meetings with political parties. All political parties had been informed of the same, and they follow thisprocedure. Whenever a delegation of a political party, or a joint delegation of several parties, wishes to meet the Commission, it seeks an appointment through its duly Authorised Representative. The meeting is thereafter held at a time mutually agreed upon by both sides," the statement said.

"After 4.00 PM today, when the Election Commission was considering the above proposal for the above-mentioned meeting with the Hon'ble MPs, it was informed by the DCP, DelhiPolice, that the meeting being sought was to be held with a group of 240 MPs and that theproposed venue was the Parliament House Annexe. The Election Commission consideredthis 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," ECI added.

The Commission said it had offered to send its senior-most officer on duty to the proposed venue to receive the memorandum, describing the offer as an "unprecedented step".

"ECI proposed that its senior-most officer on duty could be sent to the meeting venue toreceive the memorandum of the Hon'ble MPs, which in itself would have been anunprecedented step. However, this offer was also declined by the Hon'ble MPs. ECI respects the parliamentary and democratic processes of the country, as well as its ownprotocols and conventions, which are of utmost importance. Any political party may, at anytime, request for a meeting with the Election Commission; and the Commission, keeping inview the suitability of time, schedules a date and time for the meeting. This is a regularpractice," the statement read.