India News: Over the voter verification and alleged vote theft case, 300 opposition MPs set out on a mega march from Parliament to the Election Commission office on Monday morning. Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, along with several other opposition MPs, participated in the march.
To stop the march, police had placed barricades at multiple points, but Akhilesh Yadav jumped over one of them to move towards the Election Commission office. Meanwhile, protesting opposition leaders engaged in heated arguments with the police, after which Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Dimple Yadav, and several other leaders were taken into custody.
On Monday, opposition MPs gathered at Parliament’s Makar Dwar (Gate) before starting their march towards the Election Commission office. At the site, they sang the national anthem. Protesters were heard chanting slogans like “Withdraw the voter verification (SIR) process… withdraw it.” Police had already set up barricades to halt the opposition’s demonstration and march.
Earlier in the day, both Houses of Parliament witnessed massive uproar over the issue, forcing the Lok Sabha’s proceedings to be adjourned until 2 PM. MPs participating in the march carried placards and banners reading “Save the Vote.” The march, organized against the alleged irregularities in SIR and the voters’ list, saw prominent leaders such as Congress MPs Shashi Tharoor and Jairam Ramesh, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and his wife (and MP) Dimple Yadav, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, as well as leaders from the DMK, TMC, and other parties.
Midway, police tried their best to stop the MPs, but Akhilesh Yadav leapt over a barricade to push forward.
On the other hand, Delhi Police claimed that the INDIA bloc had not taken permission for the march. Considering this, police detained the protesting opposition MPs. Officers escorted Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Sanjay Raut, Sagarika Ghose, Dimple Yadav, and several others into buses and took them away.
Before being detained, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi said, “This government is scared.” She added, “This government is cowardly and cannot face the truth.”
