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As many as 349 Congress members were detained outside the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in New Delhi Thursday as they protested against the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) questioning of party chief Sonia Gandhi in an alleged money-laundering case, said officials.
Senior leaders Shashi Tharoor, Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot, Pawar Khera and Randeep Singh Surjewala were among those who were detained. Police said a total of 56 MPs were detained under the Delhi Police Act. Authorities were informed of the detentions and the detainees were released later.
The protesters broke the barricades and clashed with the police, who used water cannons in a bid to quell the protests.
Ahead of the protest, the Delhi Police stepped up security and restricted the movement of buses and other vehicles. Around 11.30 am, Sonia Gandhi reached the AICC office and soon left for the ED office for questioning in the case related to the National Herald newspaper.
Local staff, along with paramilitary forces, was deployed on all roads in the area. Around noon, when protesters and party leaders came out in support of the Congress chief, the police started pushing them towards the force’s buses and detained them for allegedly violating norms and police orders. A group of AICC workers from Assam and other states who tried to enter the Akbar Road were stopped and water cannons were used on them.
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot told the media: “This is shocking. They (police) are arresting me for being part of a dharna. Why is the BJP so scared of the opposition?”
Pilot said:“ This is a blatant misuse of agencies against us. It is our right to protest. Why are we being pushed and stopped?” Tharoor and Khera also condemned the detentions.
Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar said: “We are not scared that our leaders are being questioned by the ED since there is no merit in the case. But the BJP is scared that people will start asking about inflation, lawlessness and unemployment.”
Sagar Preet Hooda, Special Commissioner of Police (Law & Order), said: “Based on inputs from various sources, it was learnt that Congress members will stage protests. A letter addressed to AICC was sent to inform that large gatherings around Akbar Road, New Delhi cannot be permitted as prohibitory orders were in force. The protesters were requested to disperse. However, they did not pay heed and were then stopped and detained.”
Meanwhile, similar protests were held in several cities, including Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Bengaluru and Chandigarh.
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