New Delhi: Several Congress MPs, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Vadra and Shashi Tharoor, were detained by Delhi Police on Friday during a protest in the national capital against inflation and unemployment.
Visuals by ANI showed a group of police personnel dragging Vadra into a police van.
The protests, being held across India, started after Rahul Gandhi’s press conference concluded at the headquarters in the morning, PTI reported.
Rahul Gandhi said that there is no democracy in the country and that all institutions were under the control of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The Opposition leaders were not being allowed to talk about inflation either in Parliament or outside, and that they were being arrested instead, he alleged.
On Friday morning, the Delhi Police had denied the Congress workers the permission to protest citing prohibitory orders, PTI reported.
“Information has been received through reliable sources that you along with your supporters are going to hold the protest on Friday,” a letter to Congress general secretaries read. “In this regard, it is to inform you that Section 144 CrPC is in force in the entire area of New Delhi district except Jantar Mantar, protest/dharna/gherao in the area of New Delhi district on Friday cannot be permitted in view of security/law and order/traffic reasons and existing guidelines.”
Despite the prohibitory orders, Congress MPs started their march from Parliament to Rashtrapati Bhavan. Rahul Gandhi joined the rally too. They were soon detained by the police.
“Again today, Congress MPs denied democratic right to protest against price rise, unemployment and GST,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said in a tweet. “Bundled into police vans at Vijay Chowk. It’s clear, only those who are afraid try to instill fear!”
“The government is destroying the future of the youth of the country,” Hooda told reporters before he was detained by the police. “We want to protest peacefully but you can see how MPs are being detained.”
Earlier in the day, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad alleged that the Congress had organised the protest to save the Gandhi family, the Hindustan Times reported. He was referring to the National Herald case against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi that the Enforcement Directorate is investigating.
“The discussion of inflation and unemployment is an excuse,” Prasad said. “The reason [for today’s protests] is to scare the ED, threaten and save the family.”
Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid, in response to the allegation, said that he was participating in the protest to save the party’s leader, ANI reported.
“Why will I come to save the family?” Khurshid asked. “I’ll come to save my leader, my leader saves me. I have no issue if they [BJP] make this a definition of family.”
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi led the protest at Parliament. The party MPs wore black as a mark of demonstration.
“Inflation has risen beyond the limit; the government will have to do something about it,” said Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. “This is why we’re fighting.”
Police were deployed across Delhi on Friday morning ahead of the Congress’s protest on inflation and unemployment, ANI reported.
The Opposition has been staging protests since the Monsoon Session of Parliament started on July 18, seeking a discussion on inflation. Several MPs have been suspended for protesting in both the Houses of Parliament. Scroll. In
