FIR filed against Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi after INDIA bloc march on Election Commission

Delhi Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra over a sit-in at Akashvani Bhawan in central Delhi on 6 October 2026, The Indian Express and The Hindu reported on 7 October. The FIR followed an INDIA bloc march towards the Election Commission of India (ECI) that was stopped by police.

What happened on 6 October

Opposition MPs marched from Parliament’s Makar Dwar towards the ECI headquarters, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The Hindu reported that the protests concern the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the functioning of the Commission. Estimates of the number of MPs differ across reports: The Indian Express said around 200, ThePrint about 300, and the ECI referred to a group of 240.

Police stopped the march on Parliament Street, about 700 metres from the start, behind barricades, according to The Indian Express. It reported that Rahul Gandhi climbed over a barricade and entered Akashvani Bhawan, followed by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other leaders including K C Venugopal and Deepender Hooda, who asked to meet an Election Commissioner. They held a sit-in inside for several hours (the reports say seven to eight) and were detained at about 7 pm. The Hindu said 260 people were detained.

The FIR

An officer told The Indian Express that the FIR was registered at Parliament Street police station under “relevant sections” and an investigation had begun; the newspaper described it as a trespassing case. The Hindu, citing Delhi Police officials, reported that the FIR followed a complaint that the two leaders, their supporters and other MPs entered the premises without permission. The reports reviewed do not name the sections. An FIR records an allegation; it is not a finding.

The Election Commission’s statement

In a statement on the evening of 6 October, the ECI said it had learnt through the media that some MPs wished to meet it, and that “till 4 pm today, no political party, through its representatives, had sought an appointment”. It said Delhi Police then informed it that a delegation led by Rahul Gandhi wanted to submit a memorandum, to be received at the Parliament House Annexe with about 240 MPs. The Commission called the request “unusual” and said that under its protocol such meetings are held only at the ECI’s premises. It said it offered to send its senior-most officer on duty to receive the memorandum and that the MPs declined.

Reactions

Jairam Ramesh said on X that Rahul Gandhi had been exposing a “Vote Chori conspiracy” and that Delhi Police registered an FIR when the Leader of the Opposition used satyagraha to highlight what he called the injustices of SIR. The BJP said the ECI statement refuted the opposition’s account. The Hindu also reported that the DMK criticised Rahul Gandhi over what it called his silence on voter deletions in Tamil Nadu, a point ThePrint also carried.

Related proceedings

On 5 October the Supreme Court issued notice to the ECI and the Centre, seeking responses within a week, on a plea about how the Commission takes decisions, The Hindu reported. On 7 October, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said the court would “examine and take a call” on an application seeking recall of the 23 September order that referred the challenge to the 2023 law on the appointment of election commissioners to a Constitution Bench, The Hindu and Hindustan Times reported.

What happens next

The Supreme Court asked the ECI and the Centre to respond within a week of its 5 October notice. ThePrint reported that a group called the Cockroach Janta Party plans to return to Jantar Mantar on 10 October to protest against the Chief Election Commissioner. The reports reviewed do not say whether police have announced further steps in the FIR investigation.