Rahul Gandhi says protests will continue until CEC resigns
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi declared on Wednesday that protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar will continue until he resigns over alleged vote theft. The statement came after Delhi Police detained Gandhi and other opposition leaders for the second consecutive day as they attempted to proceed to Jantar Mantar for a dharna. Gandhi stressed that this represents a "fight to protect the most sacred thing in this country" and stated that "there is nothing that Narendra Modi and Amit Shah can do that will stop us."
Dramatic scenes unfolded during a three-hour bus procession involving opposition MPs, who were stopped by security personnel at a roundabout barely 200 metres from Jantar Mantar. Gandhi's sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other opposition leaders staged an impromptu sit-in at the location near the Le Meridien and Shangri-La hotels. Police forcibly removed Gandhi, carrying him on their shoulders and placing him in a police van. A viral image showed Vadra lying on her back on the street while holding a copy of the Constitution.
India bloc leaders have indicated plans for fresh protests on Thursday. Inside the police van, Gandhi dismissed authorities' actions as a "panic reaction" and "all fear," underscoring the opposition's resolve to maintain sustained pressure on the poll body's leadership.
