Tensions rose in Delhi today as several Opposition MPs, including senior leaders, were stopped and briefly detained by police while marching to the Election Commission’s office. The protest was led by DMK MP Kanimozhi, who accused the government of eroding parliamentary democracy by refusing to allow debates on critical issues such as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The MPs alleged large-scale voter fraud, particularly in Bihar, and demanded a thorough discussion in Parliament. Delhi Police, however, said the Opposition did not have permission for a protest of such scale and that only 30 MPs had been authorised to march to the poll body to submit a complaint.

Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, recently alleged “vote theft” of over 1 lakh votes in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura constituency during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He claimed that the Congress, which expected to win 16 seats in the state, ended up with just nine due to manipulation in the voting process.

Kanimozhi criticised the government for passing important bills amid protests in the House and without proper debate. She also questioned the Election Commission’s transparency, saying the poll body was giving Opposition parties paper data instead of digital records, making verification difficult. She cited shocking cases where a single house with just 2-3 residents had as many as 80 registered voters.

The Election Commission has asked Rahul Gandhi to submit a signed declaration to back his allegations or issue a public apology. Kanimozhi stressed that this was not just a Congress-BJP   fight but a battle for the rights of all Indian citizens to have free and fair elections.

She warned that if such practices continue, no state or election in the country can be considered secure. “What is the point of a government if we cannot be certain the people elected it?” she asked, urging the poll body to clear the doubts in the minds of the people.