The protest erupted at 10 a.m. on Tuesday when a coalition of opposition MPs, led by Rahul Gandhi, blocked the route between NITI Aayog and Akashvani Bhavan. They set up barricades and sat on the road, demanding a review of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Rahul Gandhi climbed the barricade, waved the tricolor, and then headed for the radio station, catching police off‑guard.
Delhi Police moved in at 12:30 p.m., arresting 260 opposition leaders, including Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, as well as TMC's Abhishek Banerjee and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. The arrests came after the MPs had been prevented from proceeding to the Election Commission. Police later released the detainees at 10:15 p.m. after an eight‑hour sit‑in.
A station employee tried to block Rahul's entry, leading to a tense stand‑off. The incident drew criticism from the Election Commission, which said no party had requested a meeting before 4 p.m., and from opposition lawmakers who called the police action “unlawful.” Rahul Gandhi posted a scathing message on X, demanding that the “traitors of democracy” be held accountable. He also hinted that the police would face a “political reckoning” for their conduct.
Sources close to the police say officers were ordered to act in “rapid response mode” to “maintain public order.” A senior officer later told a press briefing that the detentions were “lawful” and that the leaders had been “released on their own accord.” The protests are expected to resume next week, with Rahul’s party planning a new sit‑in at Parliament’s back‑gate.