Water cannons being used to disperse Congress supporters during a protest march to the Lieutenant Governor's residence at Raj Niwas, against the alleged forced entry of Delhi police into AICC headquarters. (Express photo by Abhinav Saha)Mayhem broke out during a protest march by Delhi Congress workers and leaders to the Lieutenant Governor’s residence on Thursday, with police using water cannons twice to disperse the gathering.
The Delhi Congress has claimed that Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Anil Chaudhury was in direct line of the first round of water cannons and sustained injuries.
The protest had been called against “police high-handedness” at the All India Congress Committee headquarters on Wednesday. (Express Photo by Abhinav Saha) The protest had been called against “police high-handedness” at the All India Congress Committee headquarters on Wednesday. This was part of a national call by the party to gherao Raj Bhavans across the country over Wednesday’s events. Senior Congress leaders had alleged that Delhi Police forcibly entered the AICC headquarters on Wednesday and thrashed party workers amid the Congress’ protest against the BJP and Enforcement Directorate for “implicating” former party president Rahul Gandhi in an alleged money laundering case.
The march comprising a few hundred workers and leaders was supposed to start at Sushrut Trauma Centre in Civil Lines, from where they had proposed to proceed to the L-G’s residence. As they started around 12.15 pm, they were met with police barricades just ahead of the trauma centre.
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Congress workers began pushing against the barricades and were pushed back by police personnel. Workers charged towards the barricades again after five minutes and were met with water cannons again. (Express Photo by Abhinav Saha) Congress workers began pushing against the barricades and were pushed back by police personnel. After this, DPCC president Chaudhury attempted to climb over the barricades and was also pushed back by police. While workers continued to hoist him up, the water cannons were deployed at around 12.30 pm causing the protesters to retreat for some time.
However, workers charged towards the barricades again after five minutes and were met with water cannons again.
Later, a delegation led by Chaudhury and AICC Delhi-in-charge Shaktisinh Gohil were escorted by police to Raj Bhavan where they submitted a memorandum demanding an investigation against police personnel who had “illegally entered the Congress headquarters on June 15 and assaulted Congress workers and leaders”.
“There should also be an investigation into who gave them authorisation to enter the AICC headquarters and strong action against involved officials,” the memorandum stated.
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