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New Delhi: In the national capital on Tuesday (October 6), Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi sat locked in an eight-hour standoff with the Delhi Police, before being forcibly detained, after he was not allowed to reach the Election Commission of India headquarters to meet Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar amid the ongoing uproar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and calls for the poll body head’s resignation. The standoff came after a march of opposition MPs from parliament to the Election Commission of India demanding the CEC’s resignation was stopped by Delhi Police.

“I am not interested in what the BJP says. I am standing here to protect democracy in the country. Along with me, until a few hours back, 300 Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs had come with me and they are also trying to protect democracy,” Gandhi said while addressing reporters from inside the Akashwani Bhawan premises where he was in a standoff with police in a bid to reach the Election Commission office.

“Amit Shah, Narendra Modi and Mohan Bhagwat, Gyanesh Kumar, these people have destroyed the country’s democracy. The people and the youth of the country also understand this. They have hijacked the country. None of them will be spared. What has been done to our country is treason, nobody will escape.”

While opposition MPs began their march on Tuesday at around 11am from Parliament, seeking to reach the Election Commission, they were stopped in front of the NITI Aayog building. Gandhi there climbed on the police barricades, and was joined by other MPs from the opposition including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Abhishek Banerjee (AITC). As the MPs sought to move towards the Election Commission, police began detaining the MPs and taking them into buses. 

Gandhi then in a surprise move, crossed the road, and entered the........

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