Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi was briefly taken into custody by police on Tuesday while participating in a protest march directed at the Election Commission of India. During the demonstration, Gandhi, a prominent figure in the Congress Party, was spotted waving a national flag atop a police barricade before being detained alongside several other lawmakers. The march, which aimed to reach the commission’s headquarters, was quickly intercepted by security forces, leading to a standoff where various politicians staged a sit-in on the streets.

The demonstrations, which escalated on Friday, are fueled by demands for the resignation of election chief Gyanesh Kumar. Opposition parties contend that the commission is operating under the influence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, specifically criticizing a "Special Intensive Revision" of voter rolls. These groups allege that the process is being manipulated to disenfranchise eligible citizens, a concern amplified by recent reports suggesting that as many as 130 million names have been removed from voter lists since 2025. While the Election Commission has officially denied any wrongdoing and maintains that the revisions are necessary for accuracy, the opposition remains firm in its call for greater transparency and accountability in the electoral process.