Delhi Police have registered a first information report (FIR) after receiving a complaint alleging that Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, along with other MPs, entered the Akashvani Bhavan premises without permission during Tuesday’s Opposition protest against chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
Earlier reporting noted: Rahul, Priyanka released after detention over hours-long anti-CEC protest at Delhi’s Akashvani Bhawan Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were released after being detained for around two hours. “FIR has been registered under relevant sections. The leaders were subsequently detained amid high drama, with a large contingent of police personnel taking Gandhi away and putting him inside a bus. The Congress alleged that Gandhi, party general secretary KC Venugopal and others were manhandled and dragged into buses. Party MPs Pawan Khera, KC Venugopal and Amrinder Singh Raja Warring were also detained. New Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma was present at the spot as police moved in to clear the protesters.
The development came a day after at least 300 Opposition lawmakers marched from Parliament towards Nirvachan Sadan, demanding Kumar’s resignation. Police stopped the march outside the ECI headquarters and detained more than 250 protesters.
The complaint alleged that the leaders entered the office premises without permission after police stopped the Opposition march towards the Election Commission of India (ECI), an officer aware of the matter said. A further probe is underway” a senior police officer said. A police officer aware of the matter also said some Congress workers later reached the New Police Lines area and allegedly attempted to scale the walls of the premises. The protest is part of the Opposition’s wider “Save Democracy” campaign over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
They were taken to Kingsway Camp in Delhi from Akashvani Bhawan after police stopped their march towards the Election Commission earlier in the day. Earlier reporting noted: Earlier in the day, Delhi Police detained several Youth Congress and NSUI leaders outside Akashvani Bhawan, including Indian Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chib. Earlier reporting noted: The Congress leaders had begun their sit-in after several INDIA bloc leaders were stopped while marching towards Nirvachan Sadan, the headquarters of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
