Rahul Gandhi Detained as Opposition Presses India Election Chief to Resign

Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi was detained by police on Oct. 7 during a protest march demanding the resignation of India's Chief Election Commissioner, the official who oversees elections.

Gandhi, the descendant of three prime ministers, led dozens of members of parliament and thousands of other protesters in a tense march through the capital, according to Al Jazeera. The march was organized by opposition parties to seek the commissioner's resignation and defied a lockdown imposed in parts of New Delhi. Gandhi said 300 lawmakers took part, Reuters reported.

Gandhi, who serves as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, had addressed the media the previous day during an opposition lawmakers' protest against the CEC. The detention of Gandhi and other lawmakers was reported by Reuters.

The dispute centers on voter lists. An opposition petition signed by Gandhi and others seeks an audit of voter deletions. Delhi police shut metro stations and restricted traffic ahead of further demonstrations.

The capital later braced for a second day of youth-led protests calling for the election chief to step down. On Oct. 14, Gandhi met at 10 Janpath in New Delhi with protesters described as victims of police brutality and spoke to the media.

Analysts said the youth protests and growing opposition support had created the worst crisis for Prime Minister Narendra Modi since he came to power in 2014, according to Reuters. The Indian National Congress also circulated statements by party president Mallikarjun Kharge concerning Gandhi's protest and gatherings at Jantar Mantar.