New Delhi: Congress MPs and leaders in both Houses met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu and submitted a memorandum complaining about police action against Congress MPs over the last three days and sought action.
The delegation of Lok Sabha leaders was led by Adhir Rajnan Chowdhury and Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge led the Rajya Sabha MPs. Rajya Sabha MP Jyothimani also wrote to Naidu complaining about Police’s behaviour.
In their letter to the Chairman, the Congress MPs wrote about the manhandling and injuries to P Chidambaram, KC Venugopal, Shaktisingh Gohil, Pramod Tiwari, and Jebi Mather.
In their letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker as well, the Congress MPs mentioned the manhandling of leaders.
“Police even entered the AICC office, and attacked our workers. The way our leaders, MPs were attacked, many received injuries. They detained us and kept us at police station for hours, they behaved with us as if we were not MPs but terrorists,” Chowdhury said.
He also raised questions on the questioning of Rahul Gandhi for three consecutive days, and wondered how many questions the ED had.
“We wanted to go with him as a show of solidarity, is it against law?” he questioned.
Former union minister P Chidambaram, briefing the media after the meeting said they informed the Chairman that MPs were manhandled, detained, and denied food and water.
“If they arrest a MP, they have to inform the Speaker or Chairman… They have not taken any MPs to the magistrate. They detained MPs for eight to 12 hours without a legal order. It is a clear violation of liberty,” he said.
Chidambaram said the matter should be referred to the Privileges Committee.
Several Congress MPs were detained by Police on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday as they protested in support of former Congress President Rahul Gandhi who was being questioned by the ED.
Rahul Gandhi has been summoned by the ED against on Friday, but he has sought deferment of the questioning in view of his mother, Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s health.
