Democracy 'assaulted', 'murdered' right outside Parliament: Jairam Ramesh after MPs detained

New Delhi: Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Monday alleged that democracy was being assaulted and murdered right outside Parliament, as opposition MPs were stopped from taking out their protest march to the Election Commission office.

He said the Opposition MPs wanted to take out a peaceful march to the EC office as a mark of protest against the ongoing special intensive revision of electoral rolls, but were not allowed to move forward by the police.

The police had made elaborate arrangements and put up barricades to prevent the protesting MPs from taking out their march to the Election Commission headquarters.

"We wanted to take out a peaceful protest march from Parliament to the Election Commission office. However, we have been stopped by the Delhi Police from moving forward. We had already written to the EC that all MPs collectively wanted to hand over a memorandum to the EC," he told PTI.

"Democracy is being assaulted, democracy is being murdered right outside Parliament," he said as the protesting MPs were prevented by the police from moving forward and taking out their protest march.

MPs of various opposition parties on Monday staged a protest march from Parliament to the EC office but were prevented from moving forward and were stopped by the police.

The protesting MPs were later detained by the police and taken away in buses, which were already lined up along Parliament street, next to Parliament.