Congress workers, led by Rahul Gandhi, who were marching to the Rashtrapati Bhawan were stopped by the police. A small delegation was allowed while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other leaders were detained and sent away in a bus to a police station. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and the other leaders are likely to be released soon.
Rahul Gandhi, after he met the President lashed out at the Modi government. He said that today there is 'no democracy' in India. Those who stand up against the Prime Minister are branded as terrorists. The Congress party has demanded a joint session of parliament to discuss the farm laws. The Congress party march was stopped by the police and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra along with other party leaders were detained.
After the meeting with President Kovind, Rahul Gandhi addressed the media and said there is no democracy in India. "There is no democracy in India. If some of you think there is, then it's in your imagination." He added that the Prime Minister is making money for crony capitalists. "Whoever will try to stand against him will be called a terrorist - be it farmers, labourers and even Mohan Bhagwat," he said. Bhagwat is the chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), BJP's ideological mentor.
Gandhi said that the new laws would take away the livelihoods of millions of farmers by favour "four or five businessmen".
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra sat on the road before being sent away and said that any dissent against this government is classified as terrorism. "We are undertaking this march to voice our support for the farmers," she said.
"Sometimes they say we are so weak that we don't qualify as Opposition and sometimes, they say that we are so powerful that we have made lakhs of farmers camp at the border (of Delhi) for a month. They should first decide what we are," she told reporters from the bus that was used to take them away.