Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi and several senior party leaders were detained on Friday after they tried to cross police barricades during a protest demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The protesters were stopped near the party’s state headquarters, Rajiv Bhawan, as they marched towards the Chief Electoral Officer’s office.

The Congress had organised the march as part of its wider protest against the Election Commission and its handling of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The party planned to reach the Chief Electoral Officer’s office and burn an effigy of Kumar. Police placed barricades near Rajiv Bhawan to prevent the protesters from moving ahead.

Police said Gogoi and other senior Congress leaders attempted to cross the barricades. They were subsequently detained. The action came as the Congress stepped up its demand for Kumar’s removal and called for an independent review of changes made to electoral rolls during his tenure.

Congress spokesperson Bedabrata Bora alleged that the party leaders were “forcefully arrested" during the protest. Bora also described the police action as “yet another threat to democracy".

The protest is linked to the ongoing political dispute over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The controversy intensified after a report said that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised objections at least 14 times over 10 months on decisions and orders related to electoral-roll management.

The reported objections covered several issues related to the electoral process. These included voter registration, deletion and restoration of names, changes to Form 6 and access to electoral-roll databases. The opposition started raising questions about decision-making within the Election Commission.

The Election Commission has rejected the suggestion that the reported objections indicate a split within the poll panel. It said internal observations are a normal part of a multi-member constitutional body functioning.

The poll panel has also maintained that decisions related to the Special Intensive Revision were taken with the approval of all three Election Commissioners. The Congress, however, has continued its campaign against the Election Commission and has sought an independent examination of electoral-roll changes.

Gogoi’s detention came as the Assam Congress protest sought to take the issue directly to the Chief Electoral Officer’s office. The police detained after the protests tried to breach the barricades.