Rahul Gandhi detained by Delhi Police
NEW DELHI :Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other MPs from the party were detained by Delhi Police on Tuesday after they staged a protest against party chief Sonia Gandhi being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in the National Herald case. Sonia Gandhi, who is recovering from Covid-19, is being questioned today for a second time; the first was on July 21.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was on Tuesday detained by the Delhi Police after he sat in protest with other parliamentarians against the Central government in between Parliament House and the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The Congress MPs carried out a protest march from Parliament House to the Rashtrapati Bhavan in wake of questioning of Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and no discussion of important issues like price rise in Parliament.
Rahul Gandhi and Congress party leaders were detained at Vijay Chowk during the MPs’ march to Rashtrapati Bhavan. Rahul Gandhi was taken to Parliament Street police station after being detained during the protest march. Congress leaders are holding nationwide protests against what they claim to be the misuse of central probe agencies against Opposition leaders. Several MPs of the party were detained by the police following their protest march from Parliament. All Congress MPs were stopped at Vijay Chowk and prevented from marching to Rashtrapati Bhavan.
However, as the parliamentarians moved forward to give a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu, the Delhi Police stopped them midway near Vijay Chowk. Subsequently, Congress parliamentarians, including Rahul Gandhi, sat in protest in front of Vijay Chowk. The protesting Congress leaders, holding placards, raised slogans against the ED and Central government. There was a heavy police deployment, including para military and Rapid Action Force.
Initially, the police began detaining other leaders, including women MPs, and at last Deepender Singh Hooda and Rahul Gandhi were left at the spot.“What is the problem? We want to go there to meet the President and handover the memorandum. Why are we not allowed?” Rahul Gandhi could be heard while he was talking to a Delhi Police official. The female Congress MPs could be seen being dragged by the police personnel and bundled in a bus. Rahul Gandhi and the rest of the parliamentarians taken from there in a bus.
In a video tweeted by news agency ANI, Rahul is seen surrounded by the police as well as the media. While staging the dharna earlier today, Rahul hit out at the government for not being allowed to sit at Vijay Chowk. “They (Police) are not allowing us to sit at Vijay Chowk. This is the reality of India that it is a Police state, it is the truth…Modiji (PM Modi) is a ‘raja’ (king),” he was quoted as telling ANI.
Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, who was among other protesting leaders, said that they wished to meet President Murmu and apprise her of many issues including the misuse of probe agencies especially to target the Opposition members. Rajya Sabha member KC Venugopal said the government is not allowing any discussion on price rise and the issue of vendetta politics of the ED. “This government is making the Parliament a mockery. We want to give a memorandum to the President of India,” Venugopal said. Meanwhile, the questioning of Sonia Gandhi is currently underway at the ED office.
(With Agency Report)