Nearly 300 opposition MPs, led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, marched towards the Election Commission office in Delhi on Monday, alleging large-scale electoral malpractices and bias in favor of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The protest was stopped by Delhi Police, leading to the detention of several senior political leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut.

Speaking to the media while being escorted away by police, Rahul Gandhi declared:

“This fight is not political… it is to save the Constitution. The fight is for ‘one person, one vote’… the reality is they cannot talk; the truth is in front of the country.”

The INDIA bloc, a coalition of opposition parties; accuses the Election Commission of colluding with the BJP and failing to act on complaints of electoral violations during the recent polls.

According to Joint Commissioner of Police Deepak Purohit, the opposition did not have authorization for a protest of such scale.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Devesh Kumar Mahla stated:

“The Election Commission said 30 MPs could visit them… but over 200 came marching. We stopped them to prevent any breakdown of law and order. They were then detained. Some MPs tried jumping barricades.”

Visuals from outside the Parliament building showed a large crowd of opposition leaders waving placards, shouting slogans, and clashing with barricades. One viral clip showed Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav climbing over two police barriers in defiance.

The incident once again raises questions about India’s democratic credibility. The arrest of opposition leaders for peaceful political protests mirrors the shrinking political space and state control over institutions; a criticism India often directs at others.

While the Modi-led BJP government projects itself internationally as the world’s largest democracy, such crackdowns on dissent highlight a growing intolerance towards political opposition.