Rahul Gandhi ED probe: Police use water cannons on protesting Punjab Cong leaders

Hundreds of party workers led by Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and leader of opposition in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Partap Singh Bajwa took out a march from the Punjab Congress Bhawan in Chandigarh

Chandigarh : The Punjab Congress on Thursday staged a protest against the alleged “continued and prolonged harassment” of party leader Rahul Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at the behest of the BJP government at the Centre.

As the protesting Congress workers tried to march past the barricades, police used water cannons to stop them and detained several party workers and leaders. They were taken to Sector 3 police station.

Hundreds of party workers led by Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and leader of opposition in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Partap Singh Bajwa took out a march from the Punjab Congress Bhawan in Chandigarh. They were headed to Raj Bhawan to stage a protest but were stopped on the way by the Chandigarh Police which had set up barricades.

As the protesting Congress workers tried to march past the barricades, police used water cannons to stop them and detained several party workers and leaders. They were taken to Sector 3 police station.

Addressing the party workers, Warring said the ED’s intentions were very clear as they only wanted to harass Rahul Gandhi. “They have been questioning him for hours together for so many days, only to call him again the next day,” he said, claiming that even the ED did not know what charge was against Rahul.

Bajwa said the BJP government was scared of the Congress and Rahul Gandhi. “That is the reason (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi wants a Congress-mukt Bharat. But let me tell him that millions and millions of Congress workers across the country will shatter all such dreams of his,” he said.

Deputy Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal, former speaker Rana KP Singh, former deputy chief minister OP Soni, former ministers Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Aruna Chaudhary and Pargat Singh, Punjab Congress general secretary Capt Sandeep Sandhu, Punjab Youth Congress president Brinder Singh Dhillon, MLAs Sukhpal Khaira, Vikram Chaudhry, Hardev Ladi, Sukhwinder Kotli and Balwinder Dhaliwal and several former legislators were among the party leaders who participated in the protest.

Youth Congress to protest against ‘Agnipath’ scheme

Punjab Youth Congress president Brinder Singh Dhillon said the organisation will protest against the new ‘Agnipath’ recruitment scheme announced by the Centre for the armed forces. “We will protest and oppose this scheme with full force,” he said, accusing the central government of making fun of youngsters’ aspirations through this scheme.