- Rahul Gandhi among opposition MPs briefly detained in Delhi
- Protesters demand resignation of election chief Gyanesh Kumar
- Opposition says revised voter lists favour Modi's BJP
- Supreme Court agrees to hear petitions against the poll body
INDIAN police detained several opposition MPs in New Delhi on Tuesday as they tried to breach barricades during a march demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over a controversial revision of voter lists.
Television channels reported that opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, were among those briefly detained before being released. Police did not immediately comment on the detentions.
The protest is a fresh political challenge for Prime Minister Narendra Modi midway through his third term, months after similar protests forced his education minister to resign over exam paper leaks.
Police detain protesters in Delhi as Gen Z-led campaign
Opposition parties and members of the popular 'cockroach' youth movement have targeted Kumar since the Indian Express newspaper reported divisions within the Election Commission last month. The reported differences over voter lists and registration procedures have raised concerns about the neutrality of the commission, which is led by a Modi government appointee.
"The election commission is a puppet in the hands of the government," Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters as the march began. "We are fighting to save our democracy."
March to the Election Commission
MPs carried placards, waved the national flag and shouted slogans against Kumar as they marched about 1km from parliament through central Delhi to the commission's headquarters.
Some placards called Kumar a traitor and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of taking away people's right to vote. Protesters sat on the road outside the commission's office, demanding to meet him.
Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and others stood on police barricades, waving the national flag and calling for Kumar's resignation. Hundreds of security personnel, some in riot gear and carrying batons, tried to stop them from entering the building.
CJP takes on India's election chief
After the route was blocked, the siblings tried to enter through the grounds of the neighbouring state radio office, where they sat in protest under a tree, the channels said.
BJP accuses opposition of 'anarchy'
"After failing multiple times, Congress leaders have decided to establish anarchy in the country and attack institutions," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told reporters before the protest.
Congress and other opposition parties say the revised voter lists benefit Modi and the BJP. The commission and the BJP deny the accusations. Kumar has not commented.
Supreme Court to hear petitions
Tuesday's march is the latest in a series of almost daily demonstrations by student organisations, political parties and the 'cockroach' movement, which began last week.
India's Election Commission under fire
On Monday, India's Supreme Court agreed to hear petitions seeking its intervention over the commission's voter drive and Kumar's conduct, after petitioners accused the body of bias.
"If there are decisions against the law ... we will take care of it," the court said at the hearing.
(With inputs from agencies)
