Opposition vs Gyanesh Kumar: Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi forcibly removed, detained during INDIA block protest in Delhi | Today’s news
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, along with his sister Priyanka Gandhi, who is an MP from Kerala’s Wayanad, were forcibly removed by Delhi Police officials on Wednesday and were also detained after they along with other leaders staged a protest demonstration at the roundabout near central Delhi’s Shangri-La Hotel Jantar after they were stopped from the Jantar Hotel.
The INDIA Bloc MPs are protesting the alleged irregularities in the functioning of the Election Commission and are also demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Priyanka Gandhi was also filmed lying on the road with a copy of the constitution in her hands.
As the MPs were not allowed to proceed towards Jantar Mantar, they decided to sit at the roundabout. Security personnel then gathered in large numbers in the area and forcibly removed Rahul Gandhi and placed him in a police bus. He was put on the bus by the police who carried him on their shoulders because he refused to cooperate.
Congress leaders like Raja Warring, Amarinder Singh and Uday Bhanu climbed on top of the bus, as per a PTI report. Mumtaz Patel sat on the hood.
After Rahul, attention shifted to Priyanka Gandhi and a large group of police officials started removing her and other opposition leaders who were lying on the road. They were also forcibly placed in a bus and taken away from the place.
“Police personnel scratched me all over”: Priyanka Gandhi
According to the Congress, Priyanka Gandhi said, “I am not moving from here. This is how they treat MPs who just want to meet the Election Commission. This is how they beat up MPs. The police scratched me all over and threw us to the ground. Let them call their forces back,” ANI reported.
Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi accused the Center of “hooliganism”, while Pawan Khera said: “It is our democratic right; we are fighting for this right. Article 19 gives us permission to protest in this way and Jantar Mantar is the designated place; if we cannot hold a protest here, then where else can we do it?”
RJD MP Manoj Kumar, who was part of the protest, alleged that the police used force.
Jha told reporters, “This is the start. Not just Gyanesh Kumar; this government is ending now. It is launching a lathi charge on the soul of India, on the democracy of India. Shame on such people.”
Earlier in the afternoon, the INDIA Bloc MPs attended a meeting called by Congress President and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, to discuss the Chief Election Commissioner issue and then headed to the Jantar Mantar protest site.
