Bansuri Swaraj Among BJP MPs Detained During Protest March Towards Rahul Gandhi’s House

Several top BJP leaders, including CM Rekha Gupta, led a protest march towards Rahul Gandhi’s house after a failed push to pass an amendment for women’s reservation in Parliament.

Bansuri Swaraj (L) was detained during a protest; (R) an effigy of Rahul Gandhi was burned. (PTI)

Several top BJP leaders, including Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Hema Malini, and Bansuri Swaraj, led a massive crowd of protesters towards Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s residence after the Centre failed to push a Constitutional amendment legislation on women’s quota and two other bills.

Police deployed water cannons to disperse the protest march. Union Minister of State Raksha Khadse, BJP MP Kamaljeet Sejrawat and Bansuri Swaraj were among several leaders detained by Delhi Police during the protest march.

“Our peaceful protest has been doused by water cannons. But no water cannon can stop us from standing for the women of the country,” Swaraj told news agency PTI.

This came after the 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill, which required a special majority in the Parliament, failed to pass in the Lok Sabha on Friday after the Opposition voted against it. The bill proposed to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats was to be increased from the current 543 to a maximum of 850.

Rahul Gandhi’s Effigy Burned

The BJP projected that Congress had an “anti-woman” stance and held black flags, raised slogans and wrapped black hands around their foreheads. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also joined the marching protesters and shouted slogans.

“For the past thirty years, half of this country’s population, its women, have continuously endured insult,” Gupta said during the protest march. “I want to ask the leaders of the opposition: if they were such well-wishers of Muslim women, then why did they oppose the Triple Talaq law (criminalisation) when it was introduced by Modi?”

Swaraj accused the Congress and its allies of betraying women and prioritising their selfishness. She said the INDI alliance wanted women’s role to be limited to voting and stepped back when it came to sharing power.

Hema Malini said, “They did not let the Bill be passed. So, we are all protesting here. Women across the country are doing this campaign together. Despite all our efforts yesterday, they did not let the Bill be passed. We are really upset. Women are protesting across the country.”

An effigy of Rahul Gandhi was burned during the protest march. Police used water cannons after protesters climbed barricades, raised slogans, and disrupted traffic. Several leaders, including Swaraj, were detained by police.

Meanwhile, Congress emphasised that it does not oppose the women’s reservation but the delimitation process linked to the bill, which seeks to increase the seats in the Lok Sabha to 815, which the party says would weaken representation of southern states in the Lower House. “We knew from the beginning they were event-masters, doing events and nothing else,” said Congress leader Imran Masood.

The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, had proposed 33 per cent reservation for women in parliament and assemblies, along with an increase in the strength of the Lok Sabha. It failed to get the required two-thirds majority, receiving 298 votes in favour and 230 against it.

(with inputs from agencies)

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