Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi detained over election protest

Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi was detained for the third time in two days during an election protest. The incident occurred on Wednesday as he led a march towards Jantar Mantar, a designated protest location in New Delhi, India's capital. Police apprehended Gandhi and other opposition lawmakers as they approached the protest site.

A live video feed from Gandhi's Congress Party's YouTube channel showed police placing him in a vehicle and driving away. Authorities also detained several other opposition lawmakers and protesters. Opposition parties, student units, and the "Cockroach" youth movement have been calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

They accuse the election body he leads of favoring Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. The Election Commission has removed over 130 million names from the voter lists, leading to widespread appeals against the removals. In the upcoming 2024 election, about 969 million people are eligible to vote. Protesters claim that the changes disproportionately remove voters who support opposition parties while retaining or adding voters more likely to back Modi's party.