A team of the Delhi Police on Sunday arrived at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s home to seek information about the women who have been subjected to sexual harassment and mentioned by him during the Srinagar leg of his Bharat Jodo Yatra.
In January, during the pan-India foot march, Gandhi had said, “When I was walking, there were a lot of women who were crying...Few of them got emotional after seeing me. But there were women who told me they have been raped, they have been molested. Few said they were molested by their relatives/known persons. When I asked them if I should call the police, they told me no and said they wanted me to know. They didn’t want to inform the police because they said they would face more issues. So this is our country’s reality.”
The police had on Thursday issued a notice to Gandhi, seeking details of the women so that legal action can be taken.
Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Sagar Preet Hooda on Sunday said that Gandhi has told the officials that he needs time to submit the information since the march went on for 135 days and the MP had met several people during that time, ANI reported.
The Congress castigated the Delhi Police’s move to show up at Gandhi’s home, saying the authorities were trying to harass and intimidate him. “Delhi Police approached him two times, what is the purpose?” Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said. “This is paramount dictatorship in our country.”
Venugopal also said the Bharatiya Janata Party government has been targeting the former Congress chief since the time he had raised questions about the relationship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani.
The tycoon, who has seen a meteoric rise in its fortunes since Modi became prime minister in 2014, has been facing intense scrutiny after a January 24 report by American investment firm Hindenburg Research alleged that the Adani Group had engaged in decades of stock manipulation.
“Delhi Police’s cheap theatrics prove how rattled Mr Modi is with our questions on Adani,” the Congress said in a tweet on Sunday. “This harassment deepens our conviction to seek answers.”
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that the police could not have entered the residence of a national leader without Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s order. “Rahul Gandhi said that he has received the notice and he will reply to it but still, the police went to his house,” he told reporters.
Congress leader Pawan Khera asked why the police wants to know details of the women 45 days after the Bharat Jodo Yatra ended. “The government thinks whenever they want they can send the police to our residences?” he questioned. “We will answer questions related to incidents mentioned during Bharat Jodo Yatra according to rules.”
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