March to EC office: Opposition MPs stopped like 'terrorists' at gunpoint, claims Sanjay Raut

Mumbai: A day after the Opposition's street protest in Delhi, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday claimed MPs were stopped at "gunpoint" from reaching the Election Commission's office "as if they were terrorists" and that women lawmakers were mistreated.

Talking to reporters, Raut also accused former Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar of handing the Shiv Sena symbol to "thieves", and claimed that he did the same with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

Also Read: Security beefed up in Lutyens' Delhi ahead of opposition's protest at Jantar Mantar


High drama unfolded on Tuesday when the Opposition MPs led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi marched on the "vote chori"

(vote theft) allegation. Several MPs were detained and prevented from going to the Election Commission's office.

Raut said thousands of jawans were deployed to stop Opposition MPs from meeting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Tuesday.

Personnel from the Delhi Police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were deployed to stop 275 unarmed Opposition MPs "as if they are terrorists," he said.

Also Read: ‘Every FIR is a medal’: Rahul Gandhi marches to Jantar Mantar, riot police deployed as Opposition demands CEC’s resignation

"They were forced at gunpoint, detained. Women MPs were mistreated," the Rajya Sabha member alleged.

If the CEC does not meet Opposition MPs, then does he only meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah? Raut asked.

The agitation to seek Gyanesh Kumar's ouster will not stop. "He has to go," the Sena (UBT) leader asserted.

He also targeted former CEC Rajiv Kumar and accused him of giving the Shiv Sena and its symbol into the "hands of thieves", a reference to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Sena. The former CEC also did the same with the NCP, Raut alleged.

The Shiv Sena, then led by Uddhav Thackeray, split in June 2022. The Election Commission allotted the Shiv Sena party name and the "Bow and Arrow" symbol to the faction led by Eknath Shinde in February 2023.

After the NCP led by Sharad Pawar split in 2023, the EC recognised the Ajit Pawar-headed faction as the real Nationalist Congress Party and allotted it the party's official name and the 'clock' symbol in 2024.

"The tradition (of handing over one's party to others) was started by Rajeev Kumar. We know where Rajeev Kumar is and we also know where Gyanesh Kumar will go," Raut said.

The Election Commission has been "hijacked" through Electronic Voting Machine or the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the Sena (UBT) leader charged.

He also hit out at BJP leaders and Deputy Chief Minister for Eknath Shinde "splurging" hundreds of crore on advertisements on the occasion of PM Modi completing 25 years in public service. The money spent on advertisements could have been used for poor farmers in drought-hit Maharashtra, Raut said.