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Delhi Police rubbishes claim of lathi charge, entering Congress office
Special CP (Law and Order) of Delhi Police Sagar Preet Hooda said that police have not been using any force amid Congress leader Rahul Gandhi getting questioned by the ED in National Herald case.
Delhi Police on Wednesday rubbished Congress claims that their personnel barged into the party's HQ and baton-charged their leaders. Special CP (Law and Order) of Delhi Police, Sagar Preet Hooda told news agency ANI several people had thrown barricades at police stationed near the Congress party's Delhi office and, in efforts to restore order there 'might have been a scrimmage'. He, denied police had entered the offices of All India Congress Committee (AICC) and carried out a lathi charge.
“Police have not been using any force. We will appeal to all office bearers of Congress to coordinate with us,” Hooda was quoted as saying by ANI.
The special CP further stated that police had made proper arrangements beforehand ahead of the third day of questioning of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the National Herald case. He said that nearly 150 people have been detained so far in today's clashes.
“Congress had not taken any permission for gathering today; their office bearers know about the area (between the ED office and Congress's headquarter at Akbar Road) in which Section 144 is imposed,” Hooda said.
He claimed that Delhi Police had communicated to Congress in writing last night that no gathering should be carried out around ED office and on Akbar Road owing to Section 144 being imposed. “When some workers did not agree to our appeal today also, we detained them. In two-and-half days, around 800 people detained,” Hooda added.
The senior cop also brushed aside claims by the Congress party that the latter's veteran leaders and former ministers, among others, were not facilitated. Hooda said that the grand old party's senior functionaries, chief ministers, former chief ministers, ex-cabinet ministers and MPs are “always facilitated as per the list they provided".
“Even when they did not properly coordinate today, we facilitated their senior functionaries,” Hooda said.
Several Congress leaders, including Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, Rajya Sabha MP KC Venugopal and party's national general secretary Randeep Surjewala, have lashed out at Delhi Police alleging forces barged inside the party's headquarter at the national capital's Akbar Road and baton-charged workers.
