On Monday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi allegedly repeatedly reached the ED office for questioning in the National Herald money laundering case. During this, thousands of Congress workers took to the streets and the ED’s interrogation is still going on and Rahul Gandhi is going to the ED office every day for questioning and along with him, Congress workers are protesting against the ED’s interrogation. Wednesday was the third day in a row that Rahul Gandhi appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED), with several Congress leaders and workers again protesting against the BJP-ruled Center and the ED for “framing” him.
On Wednesday, the Congress released a video clip of Jothi Mani, party MP from Karur in Tamil Nadu, in which he alleged that he was assaulted by Delhi Police personnel, who also alleged that his clothes were torn. He spoke to The Indian Express on this entire incident. Let us tell you the main parts of his talk.
Congress has shared a video clip of you today. Tell me what really happened?
Me and the protesting women were brutally dragged
We along with women MPs and office bearers of our party were marching peacefully in the AICC office on Wednesday. Since I am a woman, I have adopted my democratic way of protesting. During this Delhi Police treated us ruthlessly. Some paramilitary personnel were also accompanying the policemen. These people dragged me brutally and other women protesting with me were also dragged by these people and brutalized us by force.
We were thrown on the bus and we were not even given water
About ten people took me and my colleagues and threw them on a bus. We protested. Around 60-70 policemen were present there. They refused to give us water for an hour. We tried to buy water but he threatened the waterman and sent him out. This is not the democracy we want. There is no way to treat anyone like this, whether it is a woman worker or a woman MP of a political party. This is not the democracy we want.
The cops even tore my clothes
The Congress MP further said, the policemen tore my clothes. Yesterday also he did the same, which is unacceptable. What are we protesting for? You are calling our leader (Rahul) without any basis. Even a small child understands the PMLA Act… you need a list of offenses so you can understand. Some investigating agency has to register an FIR. Congress has been asking for the last three days that what crime has Rahul Gandhi committed, for which the inquiry is going on? Which agency has filed the complaint in which police station? Where is the FIR? Show us the copy of the FIR.
Using ED as a pet dog
At least give that FIR copy to Rahul Gandhi. You use ED as your pet dog. Despite that our leader is going and appearing before the ED as a law abiding citizen. His mother (Sonia Gandhi) is in the hospital. that’s not nice. A son cannot go to the hospital to see them and take care of them. Is this the way to behave? They entered our party office today.
This is outrageous in any democracy. To deal with a woman protestor like this violates every Indian standard of decency, but to do it to a LokSabha MP is a new low. I condemned the conduct of the@DelhiPolice& demand accountability. Speaker@ombirlakotaplease act! pic.twitter.com/qp7zyipn85
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 15, 2022
Congress has also released that video. Leave Congress, any political party is the lifeline of democracy. You cannot enter a party office like this. My office is my dignity, my party’s dignity. How can they break into our office like this?
Where were you taken after being detained by the police?
They took us to Narela Outer Police Station.
Are you still at the station?
I have just reached home. We fought with them (police) because they said that they will drop us only at 11 pm. We told them that you cannot keep women in custody after 6 pm. We will go…you can forcefully hold us near you if you want.
Are you planning to write to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha on this incident?
this is bulldozer raj
Our leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has already raised this issue with the Speaker. We are thinking of filing a complaint tomorrow. Yesterday I and our Rajya Sabha MP JB Mather were also beaten up by the police. We will not be afraid of such repression. We are people of Congress. We have a history of fighting the brutal force of the British. We showed our chest to their bullets. It is not a question of Rahul Gandhi, me or the Congress party. This bulldozer raj can do anything to anyone at any time. They can also enter any media house or any opposition leader’s residence tomorrow. So this fight is to protect the democracy of this country.
Will fight till the government is ousted from power
It is not for Congress or Rahul ji. We will fight till this government is removed from power. This action against Rahul Gandhi is based on a personal complaint. Tomorrow I can file a complaint against any of the BJP leaders or even against the relatives of any senior BJP leader or minister. You are doing all this because Congress is going to visit India. Rahul Gandhi is going to lead that journey. Then there are reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “pressured” Sri Lanka to give the power plant to Adani. They want to divert attention from all these issues.