India opposition leaders briefly detained in election protest

NEW DELHI: India's opposition leader Rahul Gandhi was briefly detained by police on Tuesday (Oct 6) during a march protesting against the Election Commission, demanding its chief resign and alleging wrongdoing during a revision of voter rolls.

An AFP reporter saw Gandhi, a leader of the Congress Party, standing on a police barricade and waving an Indian flag. Officers detained him briefly, along with other lawmakers, and then released them soon after.

Opposition parties began their march from parliament towards to the Election Commission of India (ECI), but were stopped by heavy police deployments. Some politicians sat down on the street to wait.

Protests began on Friday, demanding that commission chief Gyanesh Kumar step down.

Opposition politicians have accused the commission of acting at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.

The ECI has rejected allegations of wrongdoing, saying the revision process is aimed at ensuring the accuracy and integrity of electoral rolls.

Kumar has not commented publicly.

"Gyanesh, it's done, bro," placards read, as well as signs alleging electoral manipulation.

Opposition leaders pressed their demands for greater transparency in the revision of voter lists, alleging that changes to the rolls could disenfranchise eligible voters.

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 report in September by The Indian Express newspaper, which 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 claimed the names of 130 million citizens had been deleted since the exercise began in 2025.