UP Congress leaders clash with police, detained during protest against Chief Election Commissioner

Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee President Ajay Rai along with party workers during a protest march against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar demanding his resignation in Lucknow on September 25, 2026. | Photo credit: PTI

The Uttar Pradesh Congress unit on Friday (September 25, 2026) staged a demonstration against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and clashed with the police, demanding accountability from the Commission, adding that fair elections are the foundation of democracy and the people of the country are reportedly witnessing constitutional norms being violated.

Congress leaders, including State Congress chief Ajay Rai and party workers demanding the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner, were stopped and later detained while trying to march to a rally in Uttar Pradesh. Mr. Rai alleged that the Chief Election Commissioner played a role in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s victory in Varanasi and demanded annulment of the election.

“Attack on democracy and tampering with the autonomy of constitutional institutions will no longer be tolerated. As part of a nationwide protest, the Indian National Congress today along with colleagues from the Uttar Pradesh Congress staged a furious demonstration against the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on the streets of Lucknow. Fair elections are the foundation of democracy, but the people of this country will continue to fight against the Constitution. The streets of Congress will witness how the people of this country will fight against constitution. to protect people’s rights and democracy we will hold district-level protests on Monday The way heavy police was deployed on the streets of Lucknow shows that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is fully protecting the Chief Election Commissioner, our workers were detained during the protest,” said The Hindui.

Mr. Rai and other Congress leaders climbed the barricades and raised slogans, following which a scuffle broke out between them and the police. Congress leaders and hundreds of protesting Congress workers were taken to Eco Garden – the protest site in the state capital and released later in the evening.

Published – 26 Sep 2026 03:18 IST