The Election Commission of India (ECI) stated that no political party had requested an appointment to meet its panel before 4 pm on Tuesday. Yet, Delhi Police later informed the Commission that a 240‑member delegation, headed by Rahul Gandhi, sought a meeting at the Parliament House Annexe to submit a memorandum.
The ECI explained that its 2025 procedural framework allows parties to request meetings only through duly authorised representatives and that such meetings must be held on EC premises. Accordingly, a request to convene at a separate venue was deemed “unusual” and could not be accommodated.
During the day‑long protest, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, along with other MPs, marched from Parliament Street to the EC headquarters, stormed the All India Radio compound, and were eventually forced to surrender after police cordoned the area. The police also detained leaders such as Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Trinamool Congress MPs Abhishek Banerjee and Derek O’Brien.
The EC reiterated its commitment to parliamentary and democratic norms, noting that any political party may request a meeting at any time. It also highlighted that this incident occurs amid growing calls for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation following allegations of irregularities in the SIR process.