Opposition Lawmakers and Activists Detained in Delhi Election Protests

The demonstration, marked by sharp condemnation of the current administration, saw Samajwadi Party MP Zia Ur Rehman Barq pledge to continue the struggle for justice. Fellow MP Mohibbullah Naqvi expanded the critique, alleging that state institutions are being co-opted by a narrow ideology, leading to rising communal friction and the targeting of religious sites. This gathering follows a series of coordinated protests by a coalition of five Left parties, which saw CPI(M) leader MA Baby detained earlier in the day outside the Election Commission office. These groups are demanding an immediate halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, claiming the process disenfranchises eligible citizens.

The political pressure on the Election Commission intensified as the Congress Working Committee, led by Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, formalized a campaign to resist what they term the systematic capture of the electoral process. Congress officials cited an investigative report revealing that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised internal objections regarding SIR procedures multiple times over the past year. While the Election Commission maintains that all decisions were reached through unanimous consensus and denies institutional dissent, the opposition continues to demand the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner and the restoration of 13 million names allegedly purged from the voter lists.