Staff Correspondent
The political atmosphere in Delhi was suddenly thrown into chaos on the morning of August 11. A united march of MPs from the INDIA alliance began from the Makar Dwar of Parliament House, heading toward the office of the National Election Commission. Their goal was to raise their voices against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, which opposition parties claim is being used as a tool to remove names from voter lists in Bihar and several other states.
Leading the march were Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Sanjay Raut, Shashi Tharoor, and over 30 other MPs. Before reaching their destination, Delhi police set up barricades near Parliament House in an attempt to stop the protest. Trinamool’s Mahua Moitra suddenly fell ill, and her colleagues helped her recover. Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav climbed over the barricades—a moment that went viral on social media.
But the police crackdown did not stop there. Over 30 MPs, including Rahul and Priyanka, were arrested and taken to the Parliament Street police station. As the news spread, strong reactions erupted across the political spectrum. However, by noon, all were released.
Upon returning to Parliament, Rahul Gandhi faced the press. His voice carried anger and defiance: “Look at the state of India’s democracy—300 MPs wanted to submit documents to the Election Commission, but out of fear, we were detained. This is no longer just a political fight; this is a battle for the Constitution.”
Invoking the fundamental principle of ‘One Man, One Vote,’ he said, “You don’t need an affidavit to speak the truth”—a clear hint that he would not sign the affidavit demanded by the Election Commission.