Rahul Gandhi detained during opposition protest against India's Election Commission

Indian police briefly detained opposition leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday during a march against the Election Commission. Opposition parties demanded the resignation of its chief and alleged wrongdoing in a revision of voter rolls.

Officers released Gandhi and other lawmakers soon afterwards.

Why was Rahul Gandhi detained?

Police detained Rahul Gandhi, a Congress Party leader, after opposition marchers were stopped by heavy police deployments near the Election Commission of India (ECI).

An AFP reporter saw him standing on a police barricade and waving an Indian flag. Other lawmakers were detained with him and released shortly afterwards.

What happened during the march to the Election Commission?

Opposition parties began their march from parliament towards the ECI but were halted by large police deployments. Some politicians sat down on the street to wait. Protesters carried placards reading "Gyanesh, it's done, bro," along with signs alleging electoral manipulation.

The protests began on Friday, with demonstrators demanding that commission chief Gyanesh Kumar step down. Kumar has not commented publicly.

What are opposition parties accusing the Election Commission of?

Opposition politicians have accused the commission of acting at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. They pressed for greater transparency in the revision of voter lists. They allege the changes to the rolls could disenfranchise eligible voters.

The ECI has rejected allegations of wrongdoing. It says the revision process aims to ensure the accuracy and integrity of electoral rolls.

What is the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls?

The protest was part of a wider campaign against the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The issue of voter deletion was reignited by a September report in The Indian Express newspaper.

The report said two of the ECI's three members had formally objected at least 14 times to key decisions linked to the voter roll revision.

The news report also claimed the names of 130 million citizens had been deleted since the exercise began in 2025.