New Delhi, 06 October—Giving an interesting turn to the agree script of the INDIA block’s planned march to meet the Elections Commissioners from Sansad Bhavan, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, and his sister and Wayanad MP, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra today staged an impromptu sit in Dharna at the Akashvani Bhavan after the two along with other MPs had been arrested and packed into the bus by Delhi Police.
The Opposition MPs were detained and pushed into buses to different police stations in Delhi. The protest was all but over when the siblings pulled off an impromptu move that even left Congress leaders confused.
Priyanka was already seated in one of the buses, parked outside the Akashvani Bhavan, the headquarters of All India Radio, and Rahul was about to get in. Suddenly, the siblings looked at each other, and then walked past the cops and into the Akashvani Bhavan premises. The move was off the script and the police personnel initially did not know how to react.
Rahul Gandhi jumped over the wall at Gate No. 4 of Akashvani Bhavan and entered the premises. Other Congress MPs, including Pawan Khera, and Congress activists also tried to enter the Bhavan.
Once the Gandhis went inside, Congress leaders KC Venugopal and Pawan Khera climbed the boundary wall of Akashvani Bhavan and started raising slogans. Imran Pratapgarhi and Srinivas BV joined them.
Most Congress leaders had thought the protest was over. “We don’t know what happened. This was not part of the plan.
Only the two of them know what they had in mind when they walked in,” said a Congress MP outside Akashvani Bhawan.
At this point, the Congress leaders are still camping on the premises as top security officers talk to them.
Personnel from Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force are now stationed outside the Akashvani Bhavan. A police officer said the force inside the premises was to ensure the leaders’ safety.
Congress leaders have credited the Gandhis with derailing the police plan to end the protest. “The protest would have been over if they didn’t do this.”
Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera said in a post on X, “In the morning, the India Alliance attempted to walk towards the election commission. The police forcibly stopped the MPs. Currently, Leader of Opposition Shri Rahul Gandhi and MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra along with several leaders, are sitting on a dharna inside the All India Radio premises which is next to ECI office.”
Akashvani se Jan Ki Bat, said a Congress leader taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Man Ki Bat on All India Radio.
The Opposition leaders are demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing him of disenfranchising voters through the Special Intensive Revision exercise to give advantage to the ruling BJP.
Earlier, top Opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Trinamool Congress MPs Abhishek Banerjee and Derek O’Brien, were detained as police stopped the march to the Election Commission office. The protesting MPs were taken away in buses.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said the opposition would continue its protest to protect voting rights and democracy. “This protest will continue. We are doing this to protect your vote and your freedom. The people of the country are saying that many of their votes have been deleted and vote theft is taking place, and we are fighting and will continue to fight for their protection,” he said.
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