Rahul Gandhi released from detention: Delhi Police
Darpan News Desk IANS, 26 Jul, 2022 12:19 PM
New Delhi, July 26 (IANS) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was released by the Delhi Police almost over six hours after he was detained during his party's march from Parliament to Rashtrapati Bhawan, officials said Tuesday.
"They have been released," Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Amrutha Gugolth said while responding to a query about the Congress party leaders' detention.
The Congress MPs carried out a protest march from the Parliament House to Rashtrapati Bhawan in wake of questioning of Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate and no discussion on important issues like price rise in Parliament.
However, as the parliamentarians moved forward to give a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu, the Delhi Police stopped them midway near Vijay Chowk.
Subsequently, the Congress parliamentarians, including Rahul Gandhi, sat in protest in front of the Vijay Chowk. The protesting Congress leaders, holding placards, raised slogans against the probe agency ED and the 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. The woman Congress MPs could be seen being dragged by the police personnel and bundled in a bus.
"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.
After detaining every protesting leader from near the Vijay Chowk, Rahul Gandhi was then detained and taken from there in a bus along with other MPs to new police lines, Kingsway Police camp.
Apart from Vijay Chowk, hundreds of party workers were also detained from outside the Congress party headquarters at 24, Akbar Road.
The activists of Punjab Congress will walk towards Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh if Priyanka Gandhi is not released and the Union Minister's son accused of murder not arrested, said state party President Navjot Sidhu on Tuesday.
Referring to police action against protesting farmers in Congress-ruled Rajasthan, the BJP leader said, "Congress leaders who are very keen to visit Lakhimpur Kheri have not uttered a single word against police lathicharge on farmers in Hanumangarh, Rajasthan."
Comparisons are on in social media whether this arrest could change the Congress fortunes as after Indira Gandhi's arrest and later in the election in 1980 the Congress returned with a thumping majority.
During the 45-minute long meeting with the Home Minister, Channi also discussed the security situation of the state and demanded that the border must be sealed properly to effectively prevent the smuggling of weapons from Pakistan.
It is the largest agricultural protest to take place in India and others from around the world have also joined in, tens of thousands of farmers have camped for months on major highways to New Delhi to oppose the three laws.
