Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Wednesday, 7 October 2026, strongly condemned the alleged detention and manhandling of Opposition leaders — including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra — by the Delhi Police during a protest near Jantar Mantar over concerns related to electoral roll integrity and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.

What Shivakumar Said

In an official statement, Shivakumar described the alleged manner in which Congress and INDIA bloc leaders were 'dragged away and detained while protesting peacefully' as condemnable. 'The truth is on our side. You cannot break our courage,' he said.

The Chief Minister argued that the leaders were exercising their democratic right to seek accountability on electoral matters. He expressed particular concern over the alleged treatment of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other women leaders. 'The manner in which Priyanka Gandhi and other women leaders were treated is deeply disturbing,' he said, adding that 'political differences should never become a reason for the use of force against elected representatives.'

The Core Dispute: Electoral Rolls and SIR

At the heart of the protest, according to Shivakumar, are unresolved questions about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and what Opposition leaders have alleged are irregularities in voter data — described by some as 'vote chori'. Shivakumar stressed that these concerns 'required transparency and answers rather than force or manhandling.'

'Democracy does not become stronger by suppressing dissent. It becomes stronger when those in power have the courage to listen and answer,' he said. He asserted that 'no amount of force or intimidation' could break the resolve of those seeking accountability on electoral issues, closing his statement with 'Jai Samvidhan.'

Siddaramaiah Targets Amit Shah, PM Modi

Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Congress Working Committee member Siddaramaiah also issued a sharp condemnation, calling the alleged manhandling of the Leader of Opposition 'disgraceful.' He said the scenes involving Priyanka Gandhi Vadra being 'dragged' by police were 'deeply disturbing' and 'unacceptable in a democracy.'

Siddaramaiah directly assigned political responsibility to the Union government, noting that the Delhi Police functions under Home Minister Amit Shah's ministry. 'The political responsibility for such police action rests with the government in power,' he charged. He also addressed Prime Minister Narendra Modi directly: 'The more you try to suppress the dissent, the more we grow. We will not rest until justice is done.'

Context: Two Consecutive Days of Blocked Protests

According to Siddaramaiah, this was the second consecutive day on which Opposition leaders had been stopped while attempting to demand answers from the Election Commission of India (ECI) over SIR, electoral-roll irregularities, and alleged voter deletions. He called on the ECI to 'address these concerns openly and restore public confidence in the electoral process.'

The incident marks a significant escalation in the Opposition's campaign against what it describes as flaws in the voter roll revision exercise, with the confrontation now drawing condemnation from multiple state-level Congress governments. How the Election Commission and the Centre respond to Opposition demands in the coming days will shape the political trajectory of this dispute.