Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan were among the opposition leaders detained in Delhi on Saturday as they attempted to join the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest near Jantar Mantar.
NDTV reported that Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief, was detained along with five of her party's MPs, including Derek O'Brien and Dola Sen, from South Avenue in central Delhi. The leaders staged a protest at a bus stop after police stopped them from proceeding towards the protest venue.
Banerjee was seen with a band-aid over her mouth during the demonstration, according to a photograph posted by the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC).
"The government is misbehaving with us," Banerjee said in a video statement recorded inside the police bus taking the detained leaders away.
"We the INDIA alliance will continue to fight to strengthen people's voice," she added.
Several other opposition leaders and student activists were also detained as they attempted to reach the protest site. Kejriwal, whose residence had been surrounded by Delhi Police since the morning, was detained when he tried to leave his home to join the demonstration, NDTV reported.
NDTV reported that Vijayan and Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP John Brittas were also detained and taken to the detention centre at Chhatrasal Stadium.
The detentions came amid an intensifying confrontation between opposition parties and the Election Commission over allegations of electoral irregularities and claims of 'vote chori'.
Banerjee arrived in Delhi on Friday to participate in the opposition's protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. She was also part of an INDIA bloc delegation that met President Droupadi Murmu on Friday evening, seeking Kumar's removal.
During the meeting, opposition leaders raised allegations of electoral malpractice and demanded Kumar's resignation, along with the repeal of all Assembly elections held over the past two years. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi later said he was shocked that the President did not deny the allegations of election theft.
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However, sources subsequently said claims suggesting that Murmu had accepted the opposition's allegations of vote theft were incorrect.
Following the meeting, Gandhi said opposition leaders would approach the Supreme Court on Monday to meet Chief Justice Surya Kant and submit a memorandum, adding that they wanted to explore all available options.
The INDIA bloc has also announced a major protest against the alleged irregularities involving the Election Commission on Monday, signalling that the political confrontation is likely to continue in the coming days.
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