New Delhi: A joint INDIA bloc protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Delhi took an unexpected turn on Tuesday after Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra entered the Akashvani Bhavan premises and continued the demonstration.
The move came after several opposition leaders were detained by police and taken away in buses, creating the impression that the protest was coming to an end. Rahul Gandhi then returned towards a bus near Akashvani Bhavan, where Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was seated. The two subsequently walked past the police and entered the premises, catching both security personnel and several Congress leaders off guard.
The decision gave the protest a fresh lease of life and led to another standoff with the police. Congress leaders later viewed the move as an important step that prevented the demonstration from ending after the detentions.
However, the decision reportedly created friction among some INDIA bloc partners. Several leaders were unhappy that the Congress leadership had not consulted or informed allies before changing the course of the protest. Some also felt that the Gandhi siblings took the spotlight away from what was intended to be a collective opposition programme.
There was also dissatisfaction over the Congress deciding to seek a meeting with the Election Commission without prior consultation with alliance partners.
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal subsequently reached out to INDIA bloc parties and conveyed that the decision had been taken spontaneously. The Congress also expressed regret over the mistrust caused by the lack of coordination.
The episode has once again highlighted the difficulties faced by the INDIA bloc in maintaining coordination during joint political programmes. While several opposition parties participated in Tuesday’s march, AAP and DMK stayed away.
The Akashvani Bhavan episode ultimately kept the protest alive for several more hours, but it also brought renewed attention to differences over coordination and decision making within the opposition alliance.
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