Delhi police moved in on a Saturday as Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal and Pinarayi Vijayan attempted to join a protest at Jantar Mantar, detaining the trio and five Trinamool MPs—Derek O’Brien and Dola Sen among them—within minutes.
The detention took place after the opposition bloc had convened with President Droupadi Murmu earlier that evening, demanding the resignation of Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged vote‑tampering.
Banerjee, seated with a band‑aid over her mouth, recorded a video from the police bus declaring, “The government is misbehaving with us.” She insisted that the INDIA alliance would keep fighting to strengthen people’s voice.
Kejriwal’s residence was surrounded by riot police since dawn; he was seized when he tried to exit his house to join the march. Likewise, former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPM MP John Brittas were taken to Chhatrasal Stadium’s detention centre.
The opposition leaders plan to move the matter to the Supreme Court on Monday, when Chief Justice Surya Kant is scheduled to hear a memorandum outlining alleged election commission irregularities. Their next step: a petition that could trigger a nationwide inquiry.