Rahul, Priyanka among INDIA bloc leaders detained during march to Jantar Mantar

INDIA bloc leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, were detained by Delhi Police while heading to Jantar Mantar to protest for the second consecutive day, demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

New Delhi: INDIA bloc leaders, including Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, were on Wednesday detained by the police while they were heading to the Jantar Mantar to stage an agitation for the second consecutive day, demanding the dismissal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

The police were seen pushing Rahul Gandhi, along with several leaders and workers, into waiting buses.

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Earlier, Priyanka Gandhi laid down on the street amid a sea of protesters and security personnel, refusing to move till the opposition leaders are allowed to meet the Election Commission.

Speaking to reporters, she said: “This is how they treat Members of Parliament who are asking simply to meet the Election Commissioner.”

Accusing the security personnel of “beating” the MPs, she said: “The policemen have scratched me all over. They have thrown us to the ground. Now, we are not going to move from here. Let them call their forces back. I will not move from here.”

Congress MP Imran Masood accused security personnel of resorting to “lathi charge”.

“We will not tolerate the lathi-charge on the workers. Rahul ji and I were on the bus. When Rahul ji got off the bus, pushing and shoving started with Rahul ji and Priyanka ji. They have resorted to hooliganism and are acting like hooligans,” he told reporters.

Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury added: “Our voice will remain strong until we get our answers.”

Criticising the CEC, party leader Sachin Pilot said: “The way the police misbehaved with Rahul Ji and Priyanka Ji, stuffing people into buses and taking them to police stations, and unfortunately filing an FIR against them this morning…is going into public spaces, staging a sit-in, protesting, or holding a march illegal in this country?”

Meanwhile, before heading to Jantar Mantar, Rahul Gandhi took a jibe after an FIR was lodged against him for staging an over nine-hour sit-in at the Akashvani Bhavan on Tuesday, saying that he already has 45 cases against him and that his “goal is to have 100 FIRs”.