NEW DELHI: Police on Thur­sday registered an FIR against opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, Congress lawmaker Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several others for allegedly forcing their way into the Akashvani Bhavan premises during a Tuesday protest, The Hindu reported.

The FIR followed the detention of about 260 people, including 10 lawmakers, after an opposition INDIA bloc march from parliament toward the Election Commission of India.

Police said protesters breached barricades and ignored orders to disperse. On Wednesday, the Congress party accused police of using “brute force” to briefly detain the Gandhis and other lawmakers heading to New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar protest site.

Police dismissed the claims as an effort to “defame” the force. “We are on the ground and, as officers, we also ensure that every kind of legal duty is followed and no illegal, unnecessary actions take place,” senior police officer Shrishti Pandey told the ANI news agency.

Congress lawmaker Imran Masood denied any forcible entry, noting other lawmakers accompanied Rahul Gandhi. “They should not be mistaken that we will back off fearing an FIR,” Masood said, adding that authorities refused to meet them. “Now we will go and sit in front of their houses.”

Demonstrations entered a third day on Thursday as opposition parties, student groups and the “Cockroach” youth movement demanded Chief Election Commi­ssioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.

Protesters accuse Prime Mini­ster Nar­endra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Par­ty of rigging voter lists in collusion with Ku­mar. Kumar has not commented, while the commission and the BJP denied the allegations.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2026