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The political controversy in Kerala over the SilverLine semi-speed rail corridor project found an echo in Delhi on Thursday with the police stopping Congress MPs from the state from marching to Parliament. Some leaders even alleged they were manhandled by the police.
The Congress MPs from the state, who were marching to Parliament after addressing a press conference at Vijay Chowk, were stopped by the police, leading to a scuffle. The MPs were allegedly pushed around, and at least one of them – Ernakulam MP Hibie Eden – was said to have suffered blows to his face. Amid the scuffle, Palakkad MP V K Sreekantan was heard asking police personnel why they were stopping MPs from going to Parliament.
The police denied claims of manhandling the MPs. Suman Nalwa, Delhi Police PRO, said, “A few people came to the North Fountain barricades point from the media lawn shouting in Malayalam. They were stopped by the staff at the barricades. They claimed to be MPs and continued shouting. They were asked to show their ID cards, which they denied. Meanwhile, staff from the security picket at Gate No 1 of Parliament were called to identify the MPs. The staff came and identified them, and they were then allowed to go forward.”
The incident came on the same day Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the project, which has come to be known as the K-rail. The Congress has been waging an agitation in Kerala against the project.
Meanwhile, raising the issue in Lok Sabha, the MPs approached Speaker Om Birla for action against the police.
RSP MP N K Premachandran said in the House it was a matter of privilege as the MPs were “assaulted and attacked” by the police despite communicating to them that they were members of Parliament and were going to the Parliament House. “What’s the authority of the Delhi Police to block us MPs at the gate of Parliament House? They even entered the premises of Parliament,” Premachandran said.
Congress MP K Suresh said, “Twelve of us were walking in protest against the K-rail from Vijay Chowk to Parliament House. We were protesting because it is a project against the interests of the people of Kerala. But we were assaulted, attacked brutally by the Delhi police.”
Rajya Sabha MP K C Venugopal tweeted a video of the incident, and called it a “preposterous misuse of State power”.
In response, Speaker Birla called the MPs into his chamber to seek details on the incident.
According to the Kerala MPs, the Speaker told them he had summoned the Delhi Police commissioner and there would be an inquiry into the incident. He also told them they could give a privilege notice, the MPs said.
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