Mamata Banerjee, Five TMC MPs Detained in Delhi Amid SIR Protests

New Delhi, Oct 10 : Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee and five party MPs were detained by Delhi Police on Saturday amid heightened security in the national capital ahead of protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the party alleged.

In a message issued by the TMC, the party claimed that Banerjee and the five MPs were being transported in a police vehicle described as a “prison van” and were allegedly being taken to an undisclosed location.

“Mamata Di and 5 MPs now being taken to an unknown location by Delhi Police in a PRISONER VAN,” the party said in its message, adding that they had been driven around in the vehicle for the past 30 minutes without being informed of their destination.

The MPs accompanying Banerjee were identified as Derek O’Brien, Dola Sen, Pratima Mondal, Samirul Islam and Saket Gokhale.

The reported detention came amid escalating political tensions over the Election Commission’s SIR exercise. Opposition parties have expressed concerns that the revision of electoral rolls could result in the deletion of eligible voters’ names and undermine citizens’ voting rights.

The protest call at Jantar Mantar and the demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar have added to the political confrontation, prompting heightened security arrangements in Delhi.

Opposition parties have repeatedly demanded safeguards to prevent the exclusion of eligible voters, suspension of the revision exercise and greater transparency in the functioning of the Election Commission. They have also called for Kumar’s removal, alleging that the poll panel has failed to adequately address concerns over electoral transparency and accountability.

The Election Commission has defended the revision exercise, maintaining that updating electoral rolls is part of its mandate to ensure their accuracy.

The reported detention of Banerjee and the five TMC MPs is likely to intensify the confrontation between the opposition and the authorities over the handling of protests in the national capital.

The party’s allegations have also raised questions about the grounds for the police action, the destination of the vehicle and whether the detained leaders were being taken to a designated detention facility.

Further details regarding the circumstances of the reported detention, its legal basis and the whereabouts of Banerjee and the five MPs were not immediately available. Delhi Police had not issued a response to the allegations in the party’s message at the time of filing this report.