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Satyagraha march: Chidambaram manhandled, sustains hairline fracture, says Congress
Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who was detained by the Delhi Police, during the 'Satyagraha' march in support of Rahul Gandhi, alleged manhandling by police personnel on the way to ED office.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged that a “deadly attack” was launched on party leader KC Venugopal, while former Union minister P Chidambaram was hit by police and his glasses were thrown on the ground during a protest march as their party leader Rahul Gandhi headed to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office for questioning in the National Herald case on Monday.
In videos posted on Twitter Surjewala said, “The Modi government has crossed all limits of barbarism. Former home minister P Chidambaram was hit by police, his glasses were thrown on the ground. He has a hairline fracture in his left rib. MP Pramod Tiwari was thrown on the road, he has a head injury and rib fracture. Is this a democracy?”
He added, “The entire day has passed, but the attack continues. A deadly attack was launched on Congress general secretary KC Venugopal. MP Shakti Singh Gohil was also attacked. Congress workers were beaten up. Thousands are in jail. Democracy has been trampled and the country will not forgive the Modi government."
Walking in the blistering summer heat and raising slogans of solidarity with Gandhi, Congress members defied police restrictions as they joined their party leader.
Several workers were detained in the morning when they were on their way to join the 'Satyagraha march' called by the opposition party, but scores of others gathered at the party headquarters by 9 am, holding the national and party flags.
Prominent among those detained were Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, Venugopal and leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. Chowdhury alleged manhandling by police personnel on the way to ED office.
"This is to intimate you that today I have been badly manhandled by the Delhi Police on the way to the ED office without even an iota of provocation. During the phase of police atrocities, I got an injury in the upper jaw of my mouth. May I request you to treat my letter as an allegation against those police personnel and do the needful," he said in a letter to SHO Tughlaq Road.
Slogans of 'Inquilab Zindabad' and 'Rahul tum sangharsh karo hum tumhare saath hain (Rahul you fight, we are with you)' rent the air as Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and other prominent leaders of the Congress reached the party office.
The protesters waved placards that read: 'Satyamev Jayate' (Truth Alone Triumphs) and "Will not fear, will not bow, will fight for truth anyhow', as the procession comprising senior leaders, party functionaries and grassroots-level workers moved from the AICC headquarters towards the ED office nearly two kilometres away.
A small cage that had a poster with ED and CBI written on it was put at the party office in a symbolic protest by the party which has accused the Centre of misusing agencies to target opponents.
The Congress, which has claimed that the charges against its leaders in the case are baseless and has accused the Modi government of political vendetta, dubbed the march as the start of Mahatma Gandhi's 'Satyagraha' (peaceful resistance).
The ruling BJP, however, criticised the Congress, accusing it of celebrating corruption.
The opposition party's march made it through two points of barricading but was stopped at the third point, where several prominent leaders, as well as workers, were detained and taken away in police vans and buses.
Surjewala, who shared a picture on Twitter after being taken away by the police, alleged that "thousands" of party workers have been arrested and compared the Modi government to the British imperialists.
Due to the barricading, Gandhi had to take a detour to reach the probe agency's office and sat in his car for the last few minutes of his 15-minute journey as a sea of people surrounded his vehicle.
The party also shared pictures of Priyanka Gandhi meeting the detained leaders at a police station.
The ED will record the statement of the Lok Sabha member from Wayanad in Kerala under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The probe pertains to alleged financial irregularities in the party-promoted Young Indian that owns the National Herald newspaper.
National Herald is published by the Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and owned by Young Indian Pvt Limited.
The Gandhis are expected to be grilled about the incorporation of a Young Indian company, the operations of the National Herald and the fund transfer within the news media establishment.
(With inputs from agencies)
