1 Dramatic Arrests: Rahul Gandhi Protest Rocks Delhi PM Home

National Desk | Asom Barta | July 21

Several senior Congress leaders, including Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, were detained by the Delhi Police on Tuesday during a protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official residence in New Delhi.

The protest was organised by the Congress party in response to the police lathi-charge on demonstrators belonging to the CoKroch Janata Party (CJP) on Monday. During the demonstration, Congress leaders also demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

As protesters staged a sit-in near the Prime Minister’s residence, Delhi Police asked them to vacate the area. The Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), New Delhi, requested Rahul Gandhi to end the protest and leave the venue. However, Gandhi refused to comply, following which the police detained the protesters and transported them away from the site in buses.

The protest witnessed the participation of several senior Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and a number of Members of Parliament.

Among those detained was Assam Congress MP Rakibul Hussain, who had joined the protest along with other party leaders. According to available information, he is believed to be the first Member of Parliament from Assam to be detained during such a protest outside the Prime Minister’s residence.

The detained leaders were kept at a police station for nearly four to five hours before being released unconditionally after the situation returned to normal.

Reacting to the incident after his release, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the government’s actions amounted to “the murder of democracy.”

“We are raising our voice against the problems faced by ordinary people, including inflation and unemployment. We were prevented from holding a peaceful protest, but we will never give up,” Gandhi said.

The incident has further intensified the political confrontation between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress. While the Congress accused the government of suppressing democratic protests, the Delhi Police maintained that its actions were aimed at ensuring law and order in the high-security zone surrounding the Prime Minister’s residence.

The protest and subsequent detentions have once again brought the issue of political demonstrations and police action into national focus, with reactions expected from both the government and opposition parties in the coming days.