The detentions came amid heightened political tensions in the national capital over a demonstration led by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and other opposition leaders against alleged irregularities in electoral rolls. The protesters are demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

According to reports, Banerjee and other MAITC leaders were detained at a bus depot in Delhi while participating in the demonstration. The party alleged that the police took them to an undisclosed location in a police van.

“While our Hon’ble Chairperson along with our Hon’ble MPs were peacefully protesting, Delhi Police came and instructed that no slogans and no posters were allowed,” the MAITC wrote on X.

The party also shared a video showing Banerjee sitting inside a police van alongside other party leaders.

“They unlawfully forced our Chairperson and our MPs into a police van and are now taking them to an undisclosed location,” the party alleged.

TMC leader Derek O’Brien also shared a video of Banerjee inside the police van, claiming that she and five party MPs had been driven around for nearly an hour.

“Mamata Banerjee being driven around for the last one hour along with 5 TMC MPs. Video from inside prison van,” O’Brien wrote on X.

Arvind Kejriwal Also Detained

Former Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal was also detained after reportedly attempting to leave his residence to join the protest.

Demanding Kumar’s resignation, the AAP accused the BJP-led government of attempting to suppress opposition voices.

“Whenever the oppressor wreaks tyranny from the corridors of power, every nook and cranny will echo with the slogans of revolution! By arresting Arvind Kejriwal ji, Prime Minister Modi cannot hide his own theft. Vote thief Gyanesh Kumar will have to go!” the party wrote on X.

The demonstration centres on allegations of irregularities in electoral rolls and concerns surrounding the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

Indian Express Investigation 

The political confrontation follows an investigative report by The Indian Express that highlighted differences within the three-member Election Commission involving CEC Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.

According to the report, Sandhu and Joshi formally raised objections on at least 14 occasions over a 10-month period concerning decisions and orders related to electoral rolls and the SIR exercise. They reportedly expressed concerns that certain decisions had been taken without their knowledge.

The objections reportedly covered changes to Form 6, access to the electoral-roll database, the deletion and restoration of voter names, appeals concerning electoral rolls and aspects of the Election Commission’s internal decision-making process.

The two Election Commissioners also reportedly raised concerns about what they viewed as the gradual centralisation of control over the electoral-roll database.

Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), who operate at the constituency level, have statutory responsibility for preparing and maintaining electoral rolls.

According to the investigation, Joshi called for an audit to ensure that only authorised statutory officials could make changes to the voter database. Sandhu, meanwhile, reportedly recorded complaints from state-level officials who said they lacked “proper and complete access” to the relevant systems.

The report further stated that the two Commissioners separately wrote to Cabinet Secretary T. V. Somanathan regarding changes to the Election Commission’s work allocation. They reportedly expressed concerns that these changes could further concentrate control over the information technology systems used to manage electoral rolls.

Election Commission Rejects Claims of Internal Rift

The Election Commission has disputed the interpretation of the report, maintaining that written objections, suggestions and differences of opinion are part of its internal deliberative process.

According to EC sources, all decisions, including those relating to the SIR exercise, were taken with the approval of all three Election Commissioners and were unanimous.

The developments have intensified the political debate over electoral-roll revisions, the functioning of the Election Commission and opposition allegations concerning the integrity of the electoral process.