New Delhi: Several prominent Opposition leaders, including Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal and former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, were detained in Delhi on Saturday as they attempted to join protests against the Election Commission.
Banerjee was detained along with five Trinamool Congress MPs, including Derek O’Brien and Dola Sen, after police stopped them from proceeding towards the protest site near Jantar Mantar. She subsequently staged a demonstration at a bus stop in the South Avenue area, sitting with a bandage over her mouth as a mark of protest.
Speaking from inside a police bus, Banerjee accused the authorities of mistreating Opposition leaders and declared that the INDIA bloc would continue its fight to strengthen the voice of the people.
Kejriwal was also detained after attempting to leave his residence to join the demonstration. Delhi Police personnel had been deployed around his home earlier in the day amid heightened security arrangements in the capital.
Former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP John Brittas were among those taken into custody and transported to a detention facility at Chhatrasal Stadium. Several other Opposition and student leaders were also detained while attempting to reach the protest venue.
Banerjee had arrived in Delhi on Friday to participate in demonstrations demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. She was part of an INDIA bloc delegation that met President Droupadi Murmu to raise concerns over alleged irregularities in the electoral process.
During the meeting, Opposition leaders raised allegations of electoral malpractice and sought Kumar’s removal, along with action concerning Assembly elections conducted over the previous two years. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi subsequently said the delegation intended to approach the Supreme Court as part of its efforts to pursue available legal options.
However, claims that the President had accepted the Opposition’s allegations of electoral malpractice were disputed.
The INDIA bloc has also announced further protests against alleged irregularities involving the Election Commission, keeping the issue at the centre of the political confrontation between the Opposition and the ruling establishment.
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