Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and many INDIA bloc MPs got detained on Wednesday after police blocked their march to Jantar Mantar. The leaders protested against Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over "vote chori" allegations. Rahul said, "Every FIR against me is a medal for me," as police removed them.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several other INDIA bloc MPs were detained on Wednesday after police forcibly removed them from a sit-in at a roundabout near the Shangri-La hotel in central Delhi.
The opposition leaders were on their way to Jantar Mantar to stage a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of "vote chori" when police stopped their buses from proceeding further.
The MPs then staged a sit-in at the roundabout. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra lay on the road along with other women leaders, holding a copy of the Constitution.
A large number of security personnel gathered at the spot. Police first forcibly removed Rahul Gandhi and carried him on their shoulders before putting him inside a police bus. Congress leaders Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Udai Bhanu Chib climbed atop the bus, while Mumtaz Patel sat on its bonnet.
Women police personnel subsequently removed Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other women leaders from the road and took them away in buses. Several other opposition MPs were also detained.
The leaders had earlier attended a solidarity lunch hosted by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at a restaurant in Janpath before boarding buses for the designated protest site.
Gandhi had told reporters that the Opposition would protest at Jantar Mantar and said the INDIA bloc did not consider Gyanesh Kumar a legitimate Election Commissioner. He also reiterated his demand for Kumar's resignation.
The opposition MPs had staged an eight-hour sit-in at the Akashvani Bhawan premises on Tuesday after police stopped their march to the Election Commission office. The protest was held to raise allegations of "vote chori" and seek a meeting with the Election Commission.
On an FIR registered against him over Tuesday's protest, Gandhi had said, "I have 45 FIRs against me. My target is that there should be 100 FIRs against me. Every FIR against me is a medal for me."
Kharge had said the Opposition would continue its campaign, alleging that the Election Commission was making mistakes at the behest of the government.
RJD leader Manoj Jha, TMC's Derek O'Brien and CPI's P Sandosh Kumar had also backed the Opposition's campaign and demand for action against Kumar.