Indian opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were detained and later released by police on Monday in New Delhi after joining a protest march against alleged voter list tampering.

The “vote theft” march, organised by the opposition alliance known as the INDIA bloc, accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission of manipulating electoral rolls, particularly in the state of Bihar.

According to reports, police took the Congress leaders and several other opposition members into custody while they attempted to march towards the Election Commission’s office in New Delhi. They were released a few hours later.

The INDIA bloc leaders allege that recent changes to Bihar’s voter list are part of a broader plan to influence upcoming elections.

They have vowed to continue their protests until the alleged irregularities are addressed.

Speaking to the media before his arrest, Rahul Gandhi said, “This is not a political fight; this is a battle to save the Constitution. This is for the principle of ‘one person, one vote’.”

He added, “The reality is that they cannot face the truth, and the truth is in front of the entire country.”

The opposition alliance “India Bloc” has accused the ruling BJP and the Election Commission of voter list manipulation.

The allegations emerged after last year’s Maharashtra elections, when an unusual increase in the voter list was recorded six months after the state polls.

Similar concerns were also raised about the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka.

Joint Commissioner of Police Deepak Purohit confirmed the arrests, stating that the opposition was not allowed to hold a protest of that scale.

According to the police, only 30 MPs were allowed to go to the Election Commission to file their complaint, but over 200 people marched there.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Devesh Kumar Mehla reported that some members attempted to breach barricades, leading to further detentions.

Outside parliament, scenes showed dozens of leaders and workers chanting slogans, waving placards and pushing against police barriers.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav was also seen climbing over barriers.

According to the Trinamool Congress, two MPs, including Mahua Moitra, fainted during the commotion.

Rahul Gandhi, in recent sessions, presented data and demanded that a searchable draft of the voter list be released so that errors could be identified.

The opposition also objected to the “special intensive revision” of the voter list in Bihar, calling it an attempt to eliminate specific vote banks at the behest of the BJP.

This process was challenged in the Supreme Court, which conditionally allowed it to proceed, with the directive that genuine voters must not be excluded from the list, and those removed must be given the opportunity to appeal.

Election Commission rejects charges

The Election Commission has rejected all allegations, saying that its procedures are transparent and aimed at ensuring free and fair elections.

The commission asked Rahul Gandhi to substantiate his claims with an affidavit.

BJP leader Amit Malviya accused Rahul Gandhi of tarnishing the reputation of a constitutional body, saying that in the absence of proof, it is just a political stunt.