Congress protest: Chidambaram suffers rib fracture, other leaders sustain injuries; 459 detained

Congress on Monday alleged manhandling by the Delhi Police during their protest march taken out in solidarity with Rahul Gandhi. Thousands of Congress workers carried out protest marches in the national capital as well as in other states against the ED action on the former Congress president. Rahul Gandhi on Monday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate for questioning in a money laundering case pertaining to the National Herald newspaper-Association Journals case.

According to the allegations made by Congress leaders, the police made a 'murderous attack' on its KC Venugopal and others, while P Chidambaram and Pramod Tiwari sustained hairline fractures in their ribs.

Congress general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged that some other Congress leaders also sustained injuries as Delhi police beat them up and detained thousands of its workers since last night.

The Congress leader also alleged that another Rajya Sabha MP, Pramod Tiwari, was thrown on the road and his rib was fractured.

Both Chidambaram and Tiwari have sustained hairline fractures, he claimed.

"When three big, burly policemen crash into you, you are lucky to get away with a suspected hairline crack! Doctors have said that if there is a hairline crack, it will heal by itself in about 10 days. I am fine and I will go about my work tomorrow," Chidambaram also tweeted.

Meanwhile, BJYM, the youth wing of the BJP, mocked Indian Youth Congress president BV Srinivas by sharing on Twitter a video of him running away from the police as he was being accosted by them.

The 30-second-long video showed Srinivas giving a byte to the media earlier in the day in which he is saying “We do not fear the police and will carry out a march.”

Rahul Gandhi ED case: 459 Congress workers, leaders detained during protest

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police on Monday said they detained a total of 459 Congress workers and senior leaders, including Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, KC Venugopal and Mallikarjun Kharge, for not following police directions for the maintenance of law and order in the national capital.

They also said that allegations of manhandling and injuries to protesting Congress leaders during police action will be diligently looked into.

The Delhi police had denied permission to hold any march or protests, however, Congress leaders gathered for the protest in different parts of Delhi on Monday.

They were detained from Akbar Road, where the Congress headquarters are situated, Q Point APJ Kalam Road and Man Singh Road and taken to the Mandir Marg, Tughlak Road and Fatehpur Beri police stations respectively.

The police, however, said the entry of 100 senior leaders and staff of the All India Congress Committee, whose names were to be provided in advance, was allowed into the party headquarters through the Akbar Road and Maulana Azad Road roundabout.

All woman workers and functionaries of Congress detained by the police have been released and suitable legal action is being taken against those who violated orders promulgated under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), a senior police official said.

According to the police statement, adequate arrangements were made over apprehensions that a huge gathering of Congress leaders and workers may disturb the security and safety of the VIPs, ED office, its officers, neighbouring offices, residences and the public, etc.

The AICC secretary, in a letter to the police, had assured that a crowd will not accompany Rahul Gandhi to the ED office. But as soon as Gandhi left 24 Akbar Road for the ED office, Congress leaders, functionaries and workers accompanied him in the form of a procession, the statement said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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