Jaipur, Sept. 29 -- A protest march by the Rajasthan Congress against what the party described as a "BJP-Election Commission nexus" and alleged "vote theft" turned into a confrontation with police in Jaipur on Monday, with water cannons being used to stop Congress leaders and workers from marching towards the Election Commission office. Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Pradesh Congress Committee chief Govind Singh Dotasara, state in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully were among more than 100 Congress leaders and workers detained during the protest. They were taken in buses to Vidyadhar Nagar police station, where they staged a sit-in before being released after about an hour. The Congress had organised the protest as part of its nationwide campaign against chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and over allegations concerning electoral rolls and Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The party alleged that Election Commission has acted in favour of BJP, charges rejected by the ruling party. The confrontation began when Congress workers and leaders, who had assembled at the Shaheed Smarak after a public meeting, marched towards the Election Commission office. Police had barricaded roads leading towards the Secretariat and deployed senior officers as well as the Special Task Force. When protesters refused to move back and attempted to cross the barricades, police used water cannons. Several Congress workers climbed onto the barricades amid the water jets and were later brought down by police personnel. The ensuing push-and-shove continued for nearly half an hour. Police personnel also suffered minor injuries during the confrontation, according to officials. Dotasara and Jully continued raising slogans against the chief election commissioner and BJP even after being taken to the police station. Congress leaders demanded Kumar's resignation and alleged democratic institutions were being weakened. Addressing the gathering at Shaheed Smarak before the march, Dotasara alleged that the right to vote was being undermined in the country. "Our Constitution gives the right to vote to everyone, from the richest industrialist to a person from a BPL family. But an attempt is now being made to take away this right," he said, alleging that the country was witnessing an "undeclared Emergency". Dotasara also referred to Rahul Gandhi's earlier allegations of "vote theft" and said the Congress was fighting across the country to protect democracy and voting rights. Randhawa alleged BJP used police and government machinery to form boards in recent urban local body elections despite the Congress performing well. He said Congress would challenge BJP in forthcoming panchayat elections and claimed that the party would return to power in Rajasthan in 2029. Former chief minister Gehlot, meanwhile, described the issue as a fight over voters' rights and democracy rather than one confined to the Congress. "There is a very dangerous game going on in the country. Democracy is being destroyed," Gehlot said, alleging irregularities in delimitation and the electoral process. He urged Congress workers to reach out to people and explain what he described as the threat to democratic institutions. Before joining the protest, Gehlot alleged that objections raised by two Election Commissioners had been ignored. Referring to the controversy surrounding SIR exercise and electoral rolls, he said Rahul Gandhi had raised concerns about "vote theft" around one-and-a-half years ago. He further alleged that BJP was responding to criticism of chief election commissioner instead of Kumar himself. "The allegations are against the chief election commissioner, but BJP is answering them," he said. Congress's Jaipur protest followed the party's call for state-level marches to election offices and subsequent district-level protests over its allegations concerning the electoral process. The party demanded Kumar's resignation, removal and an independent review of decisions and electoral-roll changes taken during his tenure. BJP state secretary Ekta Agarwal said Congress was indulging in factless politics to undermine the credibility of constitutional institutions and conceal its electoral defeats. She said the party's politics had now been reduced to making baseless allegations and spreading confusion instead of working among the people. Agarwal said whenever Congress faced an electoral defeat, it questioned constitutional institutions and the electoral process instead of reviewing its own shortcomings and lack of public support. She urged Congress to shun politics of allegations and "false propaganda", reach out to people, understand their problems and stand by them in times of distress. She said if Congress had facts and evidence to substantiate its allegations, it should make them public, otherwise it should stop attempting to discredit constitutional institutions. "Politics is built on hard work, truth and honesty, not merely by making allegations," she said....