Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were on Thursday arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police after they were stopped from marching towards Hathras, the party said.
Rahul Gandhi also fell down within the melee after police tried to prevent him and his supporters from proceeding on the Yamuna Expressway. The Gandhis were then removed during a police jeep.
“Shri Rahul Gandhi, Smt Priyanka Gandhi and senior Congress leaders are arrested by the UP police,” the Congress said on Twitter, using the hashtag “JusticeForIndiasDaughters”.
Rahul Gandhi earlier questioned senior UP cops under which law was he being stopped by them as he wanted to steer alone towards Hathras to satisfy the rape victim’s family.
“Can you tell me under which law are you able to stop me from marching towards Hathras,” he told the cops.
“I want to travel alone to Hathras and on what basis are you able to arrest me,” he added, to which the cops told him that he had violated Section 188 of the IPC of disobeying the orders promulgated by the govt during the pandemic.
Congress leader Randeep Surjrewala put out a video along side a tweet showing Rahul Gandhi allegedly being roughed up as he marched forward on the Yamuna Expressway.
Pictures of him falling down within the melee were shared by the Congress.
“Lala Lajpat Rai had said that each blow of a stick on my body would convince be the last nail within the coffin of British Raj.
“The sticks on Rahul ji and Priyanka ji’s convoy also will convince be the last nail within the coffin of the Yogi government,” Surjewala said during a tweet in Hindi.
Congress leader P Chidambaram also alleged that none of the country’s laws appeared to apply to the UP police.
“UP police may be a law into itself. None of the laws of the country seem to use thereto ,” he alleged.
“What is wrong if the leaders of a party protest against a gruesome crime and need to go to the victim’s family,” he asked on Twitter.
Chidambaram said the 2 leaders weren’t violent, they didn’t carry arms and that they were lodging a peaceful protest. “Why should the police stop them from protesting peacefully? Why should the UP police arrest the 2 leaders and take them away?”
“I hope the court where the leaders are going to be produced will release them,” he said.
