Lok Sabha LoP and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was seen handing out water bottles to Delhi Police personnel on Wednesday after being detained during a protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
Rahul, along with other INDIA bloc MPs, was on his way to Jantar Mantar in Delhi to stage a sit-in on Wednesday when the police briefly detained him and some other MPs, including his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Also Read | Rahul Gandhi calls every FIR a "medal", sets target of 100 as opposition takes protest to Jantar Mantar
Deep Dive
What motivated the INDIA bloc MPs to protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar?
How did the Delhi Police respond to the INDIA bloc's protest at Jantar Mantar?
Why did Rahul Gandhi refer to FIRs against him as 'medals'?
The INDIA bloc MPs in the Lok Sabha are demanding the resignation of CEC over alleged irregularities in the rollout of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. Opposition parties allege that the exercise is stripping millions of genuine voters of their right to vote and forms part of a larger plan of "vote theft".
In a video shared by news agency PTI, Rahul can be seen sitting inside a bus and distributing water bottles to policemen who had surrounded the bus. Rahul can be heard telling them that they were "doing good work."
{{/usCountry}}In a video shared by news agency PTI, Rahul can be seen sitting inside a bus and distributing water bottles to policemen who had surrounded the bus. Rahul can be heard telling them that they were "doing good work."
{{/usCountry}}“Kaam acha kar rahe ho (You're doing good work),” Rahul Gandhi was heard telling cops as he gave water bottles to them. “Please take, you're working,” he said.
The INDIA bloc continues protest
This was Day 2 of the protest organised by INDIA bloc allies against the CEC. On Day 1, Opposition MPs marched from Parliament to the Election Commission of India (ECI) office. However, the Delhi Police stopped them and barricaded both entry points to the ECI office.
Also Read | Lunch meet, then a Jantar Mantar protest bid: INDIA bloc MPs' bus trip brings Janpath to a halt
The Opposition MPs then entered the Akashvani Bhavan building and staged a protest there before being detained. Rahul Gandhi was among the key leaders who were detained and later released. The Delhi Police has also registered FIRs against Rahul and several other MPs.
On Wednesday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge invited all INDIA bloc MPs for lunch at a restaurant in Delhi to discuss the next steps in the protest. They subsequently decided to continue the protests but change the venue to Jantar Mantar. The MPs travelled there in three buses but were again detained.
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TMC MP Derek O'Brien warned that the protest would continue despite the threat of FIRs and detention. "On the ground. So what if you detained us for two days in a row. Tomorrow, Day 3… wait," Derek tweeted late on October 7.