Congress vs Delhi Police: Party leaders to meet President over 'manhandling' of MPs during protests

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged on June 15 that the Delhi Police had entered the grand old party headquarters and “beat up” the workers.

File Photo (ANI)

New Delhi: A group of Congress leaders will meet President Ram Nath Kovind on June 20 to apprise him of the alleged manhandling and harassment of party MPs by the Delhi Police during protests against the questioning of Rahul Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the National Herald case. The Congress delegation that will meet the President includes Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, party's leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, P Chidambaram, K C Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh, PTI reported. Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged on June 15 that Delhi police had entered the grand old party headquarters and “beat up” the workers. 

On Thursday (June 16), several Congress MPs met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu to raise the issue, claiming they were treated like "terrorists".  Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury led the delegation of MPs who met Birla, while Mallikarjun Kharge along with other lawmakers met Naidu. The Congress MPs alleged that their privileges as members of parliament have been breached, further demanding lawful action against the Delhi Police. Chowdhury said the ED and the central government should not pursue "politics of vendetta and violence".

Kharge told reporters that they have informed Naidu that the Congress MPs were misbehaved with and were taken to police stations without letting the Chairman or the Speaker know as is mandated by rules. 

However, the Delhi police has denied Congress' allegations of thrashing its leaders and entering the AICC headquarters in Delhi. "We've examined complaint (by Congress against Delhi Police) alleging misbehaviour by police officials and entry into AICC office; nothing like that... Police tried to detain them from entrance..."Sagar Preet Hooda, Special CP (Law & Order) was quoted as saying by ANI. 

Many videos on social media surfaced earlier showing skirmish between Congress workers and Delhi Police. The grand old party has intensified protests across protests against ED’s questioning of Rahul Gandhi. The Delhi police had imposed prohibitory orders in central Delhi in the wake of these protests leading to the detention of many Congress leaders for violating the curbs. 

(With agency inputs)