NEW DELHI: Tension gripped the area around Parliament House on Tuesday as the INDIA Bloc’s march towards the Election Commission office escalated into a standoff with security personnel.
Opposition MPs demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar were stopped and detained. Amid the confrontation, the leader of the opposition, Rahul Gandhi, climbed onto a barricade near NITI Aayog and raised the tricolour, and the slogans grew louder. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra followed his steps and climbed the barricades in a saree.
As police moved in to detain protesters seated on the road, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi staged a dharna inside Akashwani Bhavan, while a large crowd of protesters, including several Congress workers, gathered outside.
What began as a political march seeking accountability soon turned into a tense face-off, with barricades, detentions and slogans dominating the streets around the power corridors. A three-layer security mechanism seemed to fail as the spirit didn’t seem to die down.
The drama took an unexpected turn in the afternoon. Rahul Gandhi, who was yet to be taken away in a police bus, spoke to his sister, and almost without warning, he walked towards the reception entrance of Akashvani Bhavan. The move caught the opposition MPs by surprise.
At Gate No. 3, the staff tried to prevent Gandhi from entering, setting off a tense stand-off at the entrance. But after a brief confrontation, he eventually made his way inside, accompanied by his security personnel. Not long after, Priyanka Gandhi stepped down from the bus and joined her brother.
The two were later seen sharing a light moment sitting beneath a tree inside the broadcasting house—an oddly quiet moment amid the commotion unfolding around them. Rahul was yet again munching on a Khan Chacha roll, sharing a playful moment with his sister over a soft drink.
Outside, however, the gathering only grew. Congress leaders began converging at the reception, trying to make way inside the Akashvani Bhawan premises. Among those who eventually entered were the party’s general secretary K C Venugopal and Rajya Sabha MP Pawan Khera. Then came another turn in the unfolding scene. Leaders who had earlier been detained and driven away in buses began returning to the premises.
What had started as a march on the streets had now split into the corridors and lawns of Akashvani Bhavan, with the political drama continuing to gather momentum. The leaders who had been taken away in buses, after being detained by Delhi Police, were back raising slogans. Around 2.30 pm, Gandhi spoke to the reporters from inside the premises. “ I don’t care what the BJP says. I am standing here to protect democracy,” he said.
Traffic crawls for hours in New Delhi
Amid the ruckus, traffic was moving at almost zero speed, and the queue barely moved. Commuters stuck on Ashoka Road also complained that they were stuck for nearly an hour before some of them decided to get down and take the Metro instead. Traffic was also affected across the New Delhi area, with snarls on Krishna Menon Marg, Rajpath and Circular Road, while heavy congestion was reported at several roundabouts around India Gate. Another commuter reported a complete traffic jam from the Mori Gate roundabout towards Hamilton Road.
Day of anger and fun under the tree
The stir
10 am: INDIA bloc march begins from Parliament
12:00 pm: Around noon, Rahul Gandhi climbs a barricade near the NITI Aayog office, waves the Tricolour
He climbs down, and police begin to detain MPs sitting on the road
12:20 pm: Priyanka, Akhilesh Yadav, Abhishek Banerjee, Derek O’Brien, Mahua Moitra, John Brittas put into buses
Rahul enters a bus, speaks with Priyanka, gets down from the bus and dashes to Akashvani Bhavan
He manages to enter in Akashvani Bhavan from Gate No. 3 despite resistance from building security
12.30 pm: Priyanka gets down from the bus, joins Rahul inside Akashvani Bhavan. They sit under a tree near Gate No. 4
People gather to take selfies with the Gandhis, later prevented by building security
12.45 pm onwards: K C Venugopal and Pawan Khera reach the gate. New Delhi DCP Sachin Sharma tries to stop them, but they gain entry
Praniti Shinde, Deepender Hooda, Charanjit Singh Channi, Srinivas B V also enter Akashvani Bhavan
Detain Opposition leaders return to protest site
Mats, potato chips, bhujiya, chocolates, water bottles and soft drinks brought in from a kiosk outside NITI Aayog. Diet Cokes brought from Patel Chowk, rolls from Khan Chacha
2.30 pm: Rahul talks to the media, as reporters push their microphones through the grille
4:30 pm: Rahul speaks to reporters again, saying he would not leave until the EC commits to a meeting with all INDIA bloc MPs
After sunset: Rahul completes nearly eight hours inside Akashvani Bhavan
8:30 pm: Rahul, Priyanka detained from Akashvani Bhavan, effectively breaking the Congress sit-in