Rahul, Priyanka Detained as Opposition MPs Attempt to March to Jantar mantar
Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were detained during protests at Jantar Mantar after a lunch at Sagar Ratna.
advertisement
On 7 October 2026, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were detained by Delhi Police during a protest at Jantar Mantar. The demonstration followed a lunch attended by INDIA bloc MPs at Sagar Ratna restaurant on Janpath. The protest was organised to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Multiple opposition MPs and leaders participated in the march and subsequent sit-in.
According to Deccan Herald, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were forcibly removed from the protest site near Jantar Mantar by women police personnel. The police detained several opposition leaders, including the Gandhi siblings, after they attempted to proceed towards the protest location despite being stopped by security forces. Video footage showed Rahul Gandhi being put inside a police bus, while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also escorted away by officers.
As reported by Scroll, the protest at Jantar Mantar was part of a broader campaign by the INDIA bloc to demand the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar. The MPs gathered at the site after attending a lunch hosted by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge. The Delhi Police attempted to persuade the legislators to leave, and there were reports of lathi-charge on affiliated youth and student groups. The protest followed a previous sit-in at Akashvani Bhawan, where Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were also detained.
Coverage revealed that around 300 opposition MPs participated in the Jantar Mantar protest. Rahul Gandhi stated that the opposition wanted to meet the Election Commissioners but were denied permission. He reiterated the demand for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and criticised the police case registered against him following the earlier protest at Akashvani Bhawan. The opposition has continued to allege irregularities in the electoral roll revision process.
Details from reporting indicated that an FIR was registered against Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for entering Akashvani Bhawan without permission during the protest. The Election Commission stated that no formal request for a meeting had been received before 4 pm on the day of the protest. The Commission offered to send a senior officer to receive the opposition’s memorandum, but the MPs declined the offer.
“Every FIR is a medal for me,” Rahul Gandhi said, referring to the multiple cases filed against him in connection with the protests.
According to The Indian Express, the lunch at Sagar Ratna was attended by Congress MPs and INDIA bloc allies before the march. Police had cordoned off the area around the restaurant and set up additional barricades in anticipation of the protest. The march from Sagar Ratna to the Election Commission office was led by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, but was halted by police barricades, leading to the sit-in at Akashvani Bhawan and subsequent detentions.
Analysis showed that the impromptu sit-in by the Gandhi siblings at Akashvani Bhawan was not coordinated with all INDIA bloc allies, leading to some discontent among partner parties. Congress leaders described the move as spontaneous, while some allies felt the protest became centred on the Congress leadership rather than a joint opposition effort.
Further details emerged that the protest at Akashvani Bhawan lasted nearly nine hours, with Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and other leaders refusing to leave until their demand to meet the Election Commissioners was addressed. Police cited prohibitory orders and stated that the leaders had disregarded directions to disperse, leading to their removal and detention. The leaders were released later that night.
“We just want to meet Gyanesh Kumar and the other election commissioners. We are all opposition MPs from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, and we just want to talk to them. Don’t know why the Election Commission does not want to talk to us,” Rahul Gandhi stated during the sit-in.
Additional information confirmed that the protest was attended by leaders from Congress, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, and other INDIA bloc parties. The demonstration was part of a series of nationwide protests against the SIR exercise and alleged voter roll irregularities. The opposition has announced plans to continue its agitation and to meet President Droupadi Murmu to raise their concerns.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.