Guwahati: Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have been booked by Delhi Police for allegedly entering Akashwani Bhawan during an INDIA bloc protest march against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Tuesday.
A police officer said an FIR has been registered at Parliament Street Police Station under relevant provisions, and an investigation is underway.
Around 200 INDIA bloc MPs had taken part in the protest march from Makar Dwar of Parliament towards the Election Commission headquarters. The march was stopped near Akashwani Bhawan after protesters had covered around 700 metres along Parliament Street, where police had erected barricades.
During the confrontation, Rahul Gandhi reportedly climbed over the barricades as police began detaining MPs and party workers. He then entered the Akashwani Bhawan premises and asked a security guard to let him inside.
According to police sources, the main gates of the All India Radio office were closed, while a smaller entrance used for entry remained open.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, along with other Congress leaders including KC Venugopal and Deepender Hooda, subsequently entered the premises and sought to meet the Election Commissioner.
Akashwani Bhawan is located around 200 metres from the Election Commission headquarters.
Senior Delhi Police officers later entered the building and attempted to persuade Rahul Gandhi and the other leaders to leave. However, the leaders staged a sit-in protest for nearly seven hours inside the premises.
Police detained the protesters at around 7 pm and took them to the New Police Lines at Kingsway Camp in northwest Delhi.
The protest was organised by the INDIA bloc against the Election Commission and its Chief Election Commissioner, amid opposition allegations concerning electoral processes