Delhi Police on Wednesday registered an FIR against Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, along with several others, for allegedly entering the Akashvani Bhavan premises without permission during a protest against the Election Commission.
The INDIA bloc MPs entered the premises while marching from Parliament House towards Nirvachan Sadan, the headquarters of the poll panel. Police said that no permission had been sought or granted for the march.
According to police, the protesters were asked to vacate the Akashvani Bhavan premises but refused to do so. They insisted that they would not leave until a delegation of MPs was allowed to meet Election Commission officials.
Rahul and other opposition leaders remained inside the complex under a banyan tree, insisting that they be allowed to meet the Election Commission.
“We represent the people of the country; we are their voice. But we are not being allowed to go to the Election Commission’s office. I don’t know why. Three hundred MPs want to meet Gyanesh Kumar, but he is scared,” Rahul said.
EC sources, however, said that the poll panel had not received any request from any political party for a meeting.
Police subsequently detained the protesters, including at least 10 MPs, and removed them from the site.
Several opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Trinamool Congress MPs Abhishek Banerjee and Derek O’Brien, were among those detained.
Later, speaking to reporters, Rahul alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had “hijacked” the country with the help of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
“I am not interested in what the BJP says. I am standing here to protect democracy in the country. Along with me, 300 Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs had come, and they are also trying to protect democracy,” Rahul told reporters.
