Sachin Pilot Among Cong Leaders Detained; Delhi Police Deny Forcibly Entering AICC Office | Top Points

Sachin Pilot was among the top Congress leaders detained as Rahul Gandhi clocked in over 24 hours at the office of the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday, the third day of his questioning in connection to the National Herald newspaper money laundering case. Congress leaders and workers clashed with police during a protest in central Delhi, despite prohibitory orders and no permission to stage a protest.

Over the past three days of Rahul being questioned, senior leaders have been detained and allegedly stopped from entering the AICC office. While police said protesters threw barricades at them during a standoff, they denied allegations of forcibly entering the Congress office and beating up functionaries.

Here are the top 10 points about the action on the ground as Rahul is quizzed at the ED office:

1. Sachin Pilot was among the top Congress leaders detained, as he tried entering the AICC office. As many as 800 senior Congress leaders and workers have been detained since Monday for protesting the questioning of Rahul Gandhi by the ED, officials said.
2. The Congress has shared purported video clips on social media showing police personnel entering its office premises. But, the Delhi Police rejected as “totally false” the allegations that its personnel forcibly entered the Congress headquarters and beat up party workers and leaders. “The allegations are totally false and we denied them strongly,” a senior police officer said, adding, “we had tried to stop them and tried to close the gate of AICC in order to prevent a procession from being taken out… In this process, their might be some scrimmage, but police had not tried to enter the premises of the AICC and they had no reason to enter.”
3. Special commissioner of police (law and order zone II) Sagar Preet Hooda said protesters did not have permission. “We have detained around 800 Congress supporters and leaders since Monday. They did not have permission to protest and we conveyed it to them. Despite that, they staged protests. We have made adequate security arrangements,” Hooda said.
4. Section 144 of the CrPC is already in force with effect from May 24 in these areas, thereby prohibiting holding of any public meeting, processions and demonstration.
5. Vehicular movement was affected in central Delhi after police blocked several roads and diverted traffic. A senior police officer said around 400 traffic personnel were deputed in the New Delhi district. “No call has been received about any congestion in the New Delhi district. The traffic is being managed smoothly. The diversions have been made on roads which have been closed,” the officer said.
6. The Congress staged vociferous protests in the national capital. A police officer said, “They (Congress workers and leaders) were not listening to the police. We had been telling them for the past three days that no procession is allowed. We had been giving them the chance to hold their protest at the designated place at Jantar Mantar.”
7. Police said there was adequate force in place and senior officers were also present at the spot. “We told the senior leaders that we will facilitate them, but they were bringing other people also in the form of procession and we stopped them and told them that the procession is not allowed,” the officer added.
8. The Congress has demanded that an FIR for “criminal trespass” be registered, the erring police personnel be suspended and disciplinary action initiated against them.
9. Congress chief spokesperson condemned the police action against leaders and workers. “In an act of absolute goondaism perpetuated by the Delhi Police at the instance of the Modi government, the police today forcibly entered the national headquarters of the Congress here and beat up party workers and leaders. This is patently criminal trespass. The goondaism of Delhi Police and Modi government has reached its zenith,” he said.
10. The party’s state units will stage silent protests in the evening and gherao Raj Bhawans across the country on Thursday morning against the police action.

(With PTI inputs)

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