As several Congress leaders were detained in New Delhi for protesting on Wednesday, the third day of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi appearing before the Enforcement Directorate, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said the ruling party was never treated like this, and they should remember. A political party has every right to protest and the suppression of the Congress protest is a blot on the democracy, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said.
“There’s no doubt that a political party has the right to protest an attempt to stifle the voice of its leader through malicious prosecution. The ruthless suppression of @INCIndia protests is a blot on our democracy. The ruling party should remember they were not treated this way!” he tweeted.
The Congress on Wednesday alleged that Delhi Police cops beat up workers entering the Congress office at the behest of the government. Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala raised the demand for an FIR to be filed against cops and disciplinary action be taken against them. “Tomorrow Congress will gherao all Raj Bhavans across India. Protests will also be held at all District levels the day after tomorrow,” Surjewala said.
Delhi Police claimed no permission was taken for the gathering today and the party was informed last night that they will not be allowed to hold a gathering as Section 144 was imposed around the ED office and Akbar Road.
Rahul Gandhi reached the ED office around noon for the third day of questioning. A huge force of police and paramilitary personnel was deployed around the ED office. Protesting Congress leaders were rounded up by the police and were lifted by police vans at several places between the ED office and the party headquarters.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel told reporters outside the Congress headquarters that the government was “murdering democracy” as party workers and office-bearers were not being allowed to enter the party office premises by the police.
“Are we terrorists? Why are you (the Bharatiya Janata Party) scared of us?” Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said leading one of the protests of the Congress workers.