‘Dhappa’: Cops Blocked Rahul Gandhi’s March To EC, But His Surprise Move Caught Them Off Guard | Video

Last Updated:October 06, 2026, 8:53 PM IST

With the route heavily barricaded and security personnel deployed in large numbers, police stopped the march and began detaining protesters.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi | File photo

The INDIA bloc’s protest march in central Delhi on Tuesday took an unexpected turn when Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi made a surprise move that caught the police off guard.

The opposition MPs had planned to march from Parliament House to the Election Commission headquarters, demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. With the route heavily barricaded and security personnel deployed in large numbers, police stopped the march and began detaining protesters.

Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Pull Up Surprise

As INDIA bloc MPs were being taken into buses, Rahul Gandhi and his sister, Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, initially appeared set to be detained along with the others. Priyanka boarded a bus parked near the building, while Rahul prepared to follow.

But instead of getting onto the bus, Rahul suddenly changed direction. He and Priyanka walked into the nearby Akashvani Bhawan premises, effectively shifting the protest to an unexpected location and leaving the security personnel scrambling to respond.

‘Dhappa’: Congress Shares Protest Video

The siblings later sat under a tree near Gate No. 4, while staff of the broadcasting house gathered outside to watch the developments. Several Congress leaders, including KC Venugopal, Pawan Khera, Imran Pratapgarhi and Srinivas BV, later joined them. Some other protesters climbed the boundary wall and raised slogans.

Congress subsequently highlighted the unexpected move on social media, sharing a video of the protesters changing their route with the playful caption “dhappa”.

Rahul Gandhi has pulled similar surprises during protests in the past. On July 21, he and several Congress MPs unexpectedly reached near Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence during a protest against the NEET paper leak. The leaders had earlier been told they were gathering to wish Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on his birthday. The protest ended after police removed Rahul and other leaders from outside the Prime Minister’s residence.

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Why did the INDIA bloc protest outside the Election Commission headquarters in Delhi?

The opposition MPs marched to demand Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

What unexpected move did Rahul Gandhi make during the protest march in central Delhi?

Instead of boarding a detention bus with other protesters, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi walked into the nearby Akashvani Bhawan premises and sat under a tree near Gate No. 4.

What similar surprise protest did Rahul Gandhi lead earlier on July 21?

Rahul Gandhi and several Congress MPs unexpectedly reached near Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence during a protest against the NEET paper leak.

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Manisha RoySenior Sub-Editor

Manisha Roy is a Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com, with over 7 years of experience in journalism. She covers politics and a wide range of hard news, with a keen interest in national and international d…Read More

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