New Delhi: About 260 people, including 10 MPs, were detained by Delhi Police Tuesday after an INDIA bloc march from Parliament towards the Election Commission of India (ECI) office breached police barricades and continued despite repeated warnings, police said.
Police said they received information through social media that the INDIA bloc would take out a march around 10.30am. Police said security arrangements were made and restrictions imposed under section 163 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in the New Delhi area. However, police said Rahul Gandhi , Priyanka Gandhi , KC Venugopal, Pawan Khera, Manish Chatrath and around 50-60 supporters entered the Akashvani Bhawan premises without permission and sat there.
Police said no application seeking permission for the march was submitted to the office of the deputy commissioner of police, New Delhi district, and, therefore, no permission was granted.
Police said that the protesters broke through the first barricade and moved towards the second barricade near Niti Aayog . Rahul refused to leave and said he would stay until a delegation of MPs was given an appointment to meet chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, according to police. Police said they subsequently had to remove the protesters from the premises to maintain law and order and prevent the situation from escalating. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi and the other protesters were removed and detained, police said.
Police subsequently detained the protesters. Those who were detained were taken to various police stations across Delhi. Most of the protesters later left the area.