Telangana Chief Minister says arrests will not deter Congress from protesting over alleged electoral irregularities and demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation
Hyderabad, Oct 2026 : Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Tuesday condemned the detention of Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other MPs from the Congress and INDIA bloc during a protest in New Delhi against the Election Commission.
The opposition leaders had marched towards the Election Commission and later staged a prolonged sit-in near Akashvani Bhavan, demanding a meeting with the poll panel and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the electoral process. Delhi Police subsequently detained Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and several other opposition leaders. They were later released.
Reacting to the developments, Reddy described the detention and arrest as “unlawful” and said it reflected what he termed the “hubris of a failing government”. He alleged that the BJP-led government was concerned about Rahul Gandhi’s leadership and his campaign to protect the Constitution and voting rights.
“There are precedents in our country’s history. The British Government also arrested Lokmanya Balgangadhar Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Nehru, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Subhash Chandra Bose and other leaders at different times of our freedom struggle on similarly flimsy grounds,” Reddy said.
The Telangana Chief Minister said the actions would not deter the opposition from continuing its campaign. He claimed that growing public participation, particularly among young people, in the movement to protect voting rights and democratic institutions would instead strengthen the opposition’s resolve.
Reddy also referred to the BJP as the “British Janata Party” and said the Congress would remain committed to its political campaign. “We are not going away from our determination and resolve to stake everything for the sake of the country,” he said.
The Chief Minister termed the forcible detention of leaders participating in a peaceful protest as “undemocratic”. He said arrests, imprisonment and police action were not new to Congress leaders and the Gandhi family.
The latest confrontation followed a march by INDIA bloc MPs from Parliament towards the Election Commission. Police stopped the march with barricades, following which several opposition leaders reached the Akashvani Bhavan premises and continued their sit-in for several hours.
Reddy asserted that the Congress would not suspend its campaign because of arrests or detention. He said the party would continue to raise its concerns over what it described as irregularities in the functioning of the Election Commission.
He also reiterated the Congress demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, saying the party would continue its campaign until the demand was addressed.
The Election Commission, meanwhile, has disputed some of the opposition’s claims and said no formal meeting request had been received before the protest, while Delhi Police said the march was unauthorised and prohibitory orders were in force in the area.
