Delhi Police has filed an FIR against Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and their supporters over the alleged illegal entry into Akashvani Bhawan on October 6 by opposition groups to hold a protest in New Delhi. The case follows a day-long clash between INDIA bloc leaders and police during a march towards the Election Commission of India (ECI) on October 6.
According to Delhi Police, a complaint was received that Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, their supporters and other MPs entered the Akashvani Bhawan premises without permission after the opposition march was stopped. The police filed an FIR and started investigating. Any allegations in the FIR are still under investigation and any future legal proceedings are also in progress.
The incident took place during a protest by INDIA bloc parties against the Election Commission and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Opposition parties have also accused the Election Commission of allegations of “vote chori” campaign and asked for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Opposition MPs had planned to march from Parliament into the Election Commission headquarters. Delhi Police said no application seeking permission for the march had been submitted to the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi and hence no permission had been granted for the demonstration. There was no delay in security arrangements for the march, they said.
The march was stopped by police barricades after the protesters had covered a part of the route. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were among the leaders who reached the area near Akashvani Bhawan. They then entered the premises and staged a sit-in after the march towards the Election Commission was halted.
The sit-in continued for several hours. The protesters were seeking to meet the Election Commission representatives and their demand for action over their concerns about the electoral-roll revision process. Delhi Police said the protesters were asked to leave the premises but did not.
The standoff ultimately ended with Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other opposition leaders being detained by police. Delhi Police said 260 people, including 10 MPs, were detained during the protest.
The FIR is a further legal development following the protest. It is connected to allegations of entry into Akashvani Bhawan but not a judicial finding that the allegations are proven. Police will now investigate the alleged entry and conduct of those named or otherwise involved in the incident.
The protest itself was just one part of a larger political row between the opposition and the Election Commission. Congress and its INDIA bloc allies have questioned aspects of the SIR exercise and claimed changes to electoral rolls could affect eligible voters. They have challenged the poll panel for greater transparency and called for the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
The Election Commission and the government have rejected the opposition’s claims. The electoral rolls, voter registration and the functioning of constitutional institutions have increasingly come to the forefront of the political tension. The conflict in Delhi has brought the issue back into the spotlight; both sides are taking very different positions on the SIR process.
Rahul Gandhi has been at the centre of the opposition campaign, while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also participated in protests questioning the Election Commission. Their detention after the Akashvani Bhawan sit-in added to the political tensions surrounding the demonstration.
The protest also disrupted movement around Parliament Street and the surrounding central Delhi area, where heavy security deployment and barricading were put in place. Multiple opposition parliamentarians and party workers were detained during the protest, too.
The FIR now adds a legal dimension to the political confrontation. The opposition is still raising questions about electoral processes but the police investigation will determine the circumstances surrounding the alleged unauthorised entry into the Akashvani Bhawan premises. Any legal action will be made by way of the investigation and the legal process.
The October 6 protest and FIR are a reminder, however, that the dispute over electoral roll revision and the Election Commission persists. With the opposition still holding its “vote chori” campaign while the authorities defend the electoral process, the issue will continue to be a topic of political debate.
