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Parliament Monsoon Session Day 16: INDIA bloc MPs’ protest march to EC HQs stopped; several detained

Minakshi Srivastava By
Calender Aug 11, 2025
India News 3 min read

Parliament Monsoon Session Day 16: INDIA bloc MPs’ protest march to EC HQs stopped; several detained

Day 16 of the Monsoon Session of Parliament witnessed high political drama as the INDIA Bloc launched a massive protest march from Parliament House to the Election Commission of India (ECI), challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar and alleging large-scale voter fraud in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned till 2:00 PM amid loud protests from opposition MPs over electoral irregularities and other contentious issues.

The day saw fiery speeches, police barricades, MPs jumping over security blockades, detentions of top opposition leaders, and an unwavering call from the INDIA Bloc for a “pure and transparent voters list” — which they claim is essential to protect Indian democracy.

Parliament Monsoon Session Day 16

The Core of the Protest: Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar has become a flashpoint between the ruling BJP and the opposition INDIA alliance. Opposition leaders allege that the revision process is being manipulated to delete genuine voters and add fake ones, tilting the electoral balance ahead of Bihar's upcoming assembly elections.

RJD MP Manoj Jha criticised the ECI’s handling of the process, accusing it of ignoring Supreme Court directions and withholding classified data.

“This SIR is a fraud. You are not providing data, you are not transparent, and despite the Supreme Court’s orders, your stubbornness continues,” Jha said.

Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav accused the ECI of turning a blind eye to blatant vote theft and booth capturing during recent by-elections in Uttar Pradesh.

“Why didn’t the Election Commission take action against officers acting on the state government’s instructions?” she questioned.

Opposition Leaders March to ECI — Without Police Permission

From Makar Dwar inside Parliament, INDIA Bloc leaders set out on foot towards Nirvachan Sadan, headquarters of the ECI. Samajwadi Party MP Ramgopal Yadav dismissed the idea that MPs require police permission to walk in Delhi.

“If MPs need permission just to walk on the streets, the system is useless,” he told ANI.

Former cricketer and Congress leader Mohammad Azharuddin said the march was intended to send a strong message.

“The ECI is still not giving a proper answer. The ball is in their court,” he remarked.

Delhi Police, however, clarified that no permission had been sought for the march, and security was tightened with barricades placed outside Transport Bhawan, the midway point between Parliament and the ECI.

Barricades, Slogans, and Arrests

As the march progressed, opposition MPs were stopped at Transport Bhawan. This led to tense standoffs, slogan shouting, and in one dramatic moment, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav jumped over a barricade.

“They are using the police to stop us,” Akhilesh said before sitting down in protest.

Jaya Bachchan demanded an immediate end to “vote stealing,” while Shashi Tharoor stressed that Rahul Gandhi’s questions deserved serious answers to restore faith in elections.

Soon after, Delhi Police detained several senior opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Sanjay Raut, Sagarika Ghose, and others. They were taken in buses to Parliament Street police station.

Rahul Gandhi: ‘This is a Fight to Save the Constitution’

Addressing reporters before being taken away, Rahul Gandhi framed the protest as a non-partisan struggle:

“This fight is not political. It is to save the Constitution. It is for ‘One Man, One Vote.’ We want a clean, pure voters list,” he declared.

He accused the Modi government and the ECI of working together to undermine democratic principles.

“All INDIA Bloc MPs were stopped and taken into custody. But the truth of ‘vote chori’ is before the nation,” he said.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra added, “The government is scared. They are cowards.”

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called the BJP’s actions “cowardly dictatorship” and vowed that the INDIA coalition would expose what he described as a conspiracy to “shred the Constitution.”

High-Drama Moments During the March

  • TMC MP Mitali Bagh fainted during the march and received immediate assistance from Rahul Gandhi and fellow MPs before being escorted to a hospital.

  • Opposition leaders sang the National Anthem at the start of the march, symbolising what they called a “constitutional fight.”

  • Randeep Surjewala accused the ECI of “chori aur seenachori” (theft and arrogance) for refusing to share details of the 65 lakh voter deletions in Bihar.

  • Congress MP KC Venugopal slammed the government for preventing even 30 MPs from entering the ECI office.

  • Sanjay Singh of AAP and other MPs filed notices in Parliament demanding urgent debates on alleged electoral fraud.

Counter-Attack from BJP

BJP leaders dismissed the protests as theatrics. Jagdambika Pal backed the ECI’s stance, urging Rahul Gandhi to provide proof for his allegations under oath.

Ravishankar Prasad questioned the merit of the opposition’s claims, noting that no formal objections had been filed with the ECI so far.

Other Key Developments in Parliament

Despite the protest dominating headlines, Parliament also saw other important actions:

  • PM Narendra Modi inaugurated 184 new multi-storey flats for MPs at Baba Kharak Singh Marg, incorporating green technology with a GRIHA 3-star rating.

  • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the revised Income Tax Bill, 2025, incorporating 285 recommendations from the Parliamentary Select Committee.

  • BRS MP KR Suresh Reddy demanded a debate over Andhra Pradesh’s alleged unauthorised diversion of Godavari River waters.

  • Congress MP Manickam Tagore raised the issue of alleged voter fraud in Mahadevapura, Karnataka, citing over 100,000 suspicious entries.

The Larger Battle Over Electoral Credibility

For the INDIA Bloc, the Bihar SIR controversy is more than a state-level dispute — it’s a test case for electoral transparency across India. The opposition alleges that voter rolls are being systematically manipulated in BJP-ruled states, threatening the ‘One Person, One Vote’ principle at the heart of Indian democracy.

For the BJP and the ECI, the protests are being portrayed as baseless allegations meant to discredit democratic institutions without evidence.

What’s Next?

With the Monsoon Session still ongoing, both the protest and the parliamentary confrontations are expected to continue. The INDIA Bloc has vowed to keep pressing for public disclosure of deleted voter names, while the BJP insists on proof before any action is taken.

Whether this clash leads to electoral reforms or simply deepens the political divide remains to be seen — but one thing is certain: Day 16 of the Monsoon Session will be remembered for its mix of parliamentary work, street protests, and the unrelenting battle over the future of Indian democracy.

With inputs from agencies

Image Source: Multiple agencies

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