DMK leader Kanimozhi, along with several Opposition MPs from the INDIA bloc, joined a protest march to the Election Commission in Delhi on Tuesday, alleging large-scale voter fraud and irregularities in the electoral process.

The MPs, including Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, were stopped by Delhi Police and briefly detained. Police officials said permission had been granted for only 30 MPs to march and submit a memorandum, not for a larger protest.

Speaking to reporters, Kanimozhi criticised the government for refusing to hold a parliamentary debate on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. “Bills are being passed amid protests, without proper discussion. This is the state of parliamentary democracy today,” she said.

Rahul Gandhi recently claimed that over one lakh votes were “stolen” in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura assembly segment during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls through five forms of manipulation. The Congress, he said, had investigated unexpected losses in the state and found serious discrepancies in voter lists.

Kanimozhi echoed these concerns, citing reports of multiple voters being registered at the same address. “If these allegations are false, the Election Commission should clarify. Instead of providing digital records, they are giving paper data, making verification difficult,” she said.

The Election Commission has responded by asking Gandhi to submit a signed declaration to support his claims or apologise. The DMK MP stressed that the protest was not a Congress-versus-BJP issue but a broader fight for free and fair elections.

“This is about the people’s right to choose their government. If doubts remain about whether the mandate is genuine, it undermines democracy,” Kanimozhi said, warning that such issues could affect elections across all states, including Tamil Nadu.

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