Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi was briefly detained by Delhi Police on Tuesday, October 6, after he climbed a police barricade and waved the Tricolour during an INDIA bloc march towards the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters in New Delhi.
The Opposition parties were demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over the ongoing controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and alleged changes linked to Form 6, the application used for voter enrolment.
The march began from Parliament’s Makar Dwar and was stopped near the NITI Aayog office, where heavy security and barricades had been deployed. Gandhi, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee and other Opposition leaders were among those who climbed or confronted the barricades before police detained several protesters. Around 140 MPs reportedly participated in the demonstration.
The Opposition says the electoral-roll revision process could undermine voters’ rights and has questioned the Election Commission’s handling of the process. The ECI, however, has rejected allegations of wrongdoing and said Form 6 itself was not altered, maintaining that an additional declaration was attached as part of the SIR process. The developments came a day after the Supreme Court said it had not approved any modified version of Form 6 and sought official records to determine how the changes came about.
Barricades Halt Opposition March
The protest began at around 11 am, with Opposition MPs gathering at Parliament before marching towards Nirvachan Sadan, the ECI headquarters. Leaders from several INDIA bloc parties participated, including Congress leaders Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, TMC leaders Derek O’Brien and Abhishek Banerjee, and CPI(M) MP John Brittas. Security personnel stopped the march on the stretch between NITI Aayog and Akashvani Bhawan, following which Opposition MPs sat on the road and staged a dharna.
As the standoff continued, Gandhi climbed onto a police barricade while holding the national flag and waved the Tricolour. Abhishek Banerjee was also seen climbing the barricade. Gandhi subsequently posted on X, “Gyanesh, it’s done, bro. Time to resign,” reiterating the Opposition’s demand for the CEC’s resignation. Police later detained Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and several other Opposition leaders and MPs, with protesters being taken away in buses. Reuters reported that the detentions followed attempts by protesters to breach police barricades during the march.
The Opposition’s criticism centres on the SIR exercise and the controversy over Form 6. Congress leaders have alleged that changes introduced during the electoral-roll revision process were made without due approval and have questioned whether the Election Commission has acted impartially. Congress leader Imran Masood, for instance, accused the poll body of losing public trust, while other Opposition leaders have linked the issue to wider concerns over voters’ rights. These remain political allegations and have been rejected by the Election Commission.
Supreme Court Hearing Fuels Dispute
The protest followed a significant development in the Supreme Court on Monday. During a hearing concerning the controversy, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said that the court had not approved any modified version of Form 6 and indicated that it wanted to examine the official records to establish who had introduced the changes. The court’s remarks intensified the Opposition’s criticism of the Election Commission and CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
The Election Commission has strongly disputed the Opposition’s interpretation. In a statement responding to Rahul Gandhi, the poll body described his allegations as misleading and said the statutory Form 6 itself had not been changed. The ECI said an additional declaration had been attached to the form as part of the SIR process. It also maintained that its June 24, 2025 order initiating the SIR in Bihar had received the unanimous approval of the Commission and that the relevant process had subsequently been upheld by the Supreme Court.
The dispute therefore involves two separate but closely connected questions: what exactly was changed or added to the voter-enrolment process, and whether the process followed the required institutional and legal procedure. With the Supreme Court examining the records, the issue remains under judicial scrutiny rather than being conclusively settled by either side’s political claims.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Political protest is an important part of a functioning democracy, particularly when citizens and elected representatives believe that an institution or policy requires greater accountability. At the same time, disagreements over electoral processes carry enormous consequences because the credibility of elections depends not only on legal compliance but also on public trust.
The Opposition has every right to raise questions and demand answers, while the Election Commission must be given the opportunity to explain its decisions transparently and substantively. The Supreme Court’s examination of the records provides an institutional avenue for resolving the dispute on evidence rather than competing political narratives.
For democracy to remain resilient, protest, scrutiny and dissent must coexist with restraint, dialogue and respect for institutions. How can political leaders and constitutional bodies ensure that disagreements over electoral processes strengthen public trust rather than deepen division?
Also Read: ‘Not Even A Comma Changed’: ECI Sources Defend Form 6 Amid Supreme Court Scrutiny
𝑵𝒐 𝒗𝒐𝒕𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒆𝒏. 𝑵𝒐 𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒅. 📍 Delhi https://t.co/bBHKmCOOBN
— Congress (@INCIndia) October 6, 2026
