Parliament street shuts down for much of the day; opposition parties step up protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, leaders held

Political tensions escalated Tuesday as opposition parties, led by INDIA bloc MPs, staged a protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The standoff began when Gandhi and other MPs were halted by police near Akashvani Bhavan, and it lasted for several hours before the protesters were detained.

Among the protesters were Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Akhilesh Yadav, Abhishek Banerjee, Supriya Sule, Manoj Kumar Jha, and John Brittas. The situation intensified as Gandhi climbed atop barricades and later entered the Akashvani Bhavan to demand a meeting with the Chief Election Commissioner, accusing him of committing "vote chori" or "vote theft."

Police intervened, detaining Gandhi and others after multiple rounds of talks. The opposition continued to push for Kumar's resignation, citing their concerns over the Commission's actions.