High Drama at Rahul's Residence as Cops Meet Him Over Kashmir Speech, Cong Workers Detained During Protest

The Delhi police on Sunday arrived at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s residence in connection with his speech during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Kashmir.

A notice had been served to him earlier by the Delhi police seeking details of the victims who had allegedly met him and spoken about sexual harassment they faced in the state. Heavy security has been deployed outside his residence, as per reports.

The police after meeting the leader said that Gandhi would provide them with the details. “Meeting concluded with Rahul Gandhi. We had discussions. He will provide us the details. It will take time,” said Sagar Preet Hooda, Special CP (Law & Order), Delhi Police. “We have given notice as well which has been accepted by his office,” he said.

After the Delhi police arrived at his residence, Congress workers gathered outside to protest and were detained.

“We reached out to him on March 15 but he did not meet,” said Hooda. “We reached out next day as well…notice was given to him,” he said. “We are here to take all the details of the victims…if the victim is from Delhi, then the investigation can be done in pace.”

The Congress on March 16 had posted about the Delhi police’s visit on Twitter. “45-days after Bharat Jodo Yatra was completed, Delhi Police has, via a notice, sought details of women who met him & spoke about harassment & violence they may have faced,” the party said.

“We will respond to the notice in due course in accordance with law,” the party further said on Twitter. “This notice is yet another proof of a govt in panic and their latest salvo to weaken democracy, women empowerment, freedom of expression and role of the opposition.”

Rahul Clarifies UK Speech Remarks

Meanwhile the Congress leader on Saturday reportedly sought to clarify remarks made by him during a speech in the UK at a parliamentary consultative committee meeting, amid flak from the BJP that his remarks insulted the country.

At the parliamentary consultative committee meet on India’s G20 presidency, chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Gandhi clarified his remarks made during his visit to London and said he did not ask any other country to intervene, as per an India Today report.

The Congress MP said that he only raised questions about India’s democracy and that he not ask any country to intervene. He also told leaders present at the meet that he believes this is an internal matter and they will solve it, as per the report.

Gandhi did not speak in the opening round and responded after an MP raised the issue of political leaders trying to score ‘brownie points’ by talking about Indian democracy on foreign land, as per NDTV. 

Gandhi’s response led to a heated argument between him and the BJP MPs present who said that this was not the appropriate platform to speak on this topic.

Meanwhile, opposition MPs supported Gandhi’s right to clarify given the reference to his remarks made in London. Moreover, some BJP MPs, without taking any names, said that emergency was the biggest blot on India’s democracy and some people are trying to divert the attention from India’s G20 presidency, NDTV reported, citing sources.

Jaishankar reportedly intervened amid the heated argument and asked the leaders to reserve the discussion for the parliament and only speak on the subject of the committee.

The consultative committee meeting was also attended by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, Trinamool Congress MP Shatrughan Sinha, and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi. BJP MPs GVL Narasimha Rao, Dt Rajdeep Roy, Mahesh Jethmalani and Anil Firojia were also present, as per India Today. 

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