Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who was in Berlin and could not participate in Tuesday’s march, said he was horrified by images of Rahul being manhandled and taken into detention, describing the government’s response to protests over the alleged disenfranchisement of 13 crore voters as “disgraceful”.
‘At a time when Indian democracy is being ravaged by the disenfranchisement of 130 million (13 crore) voters, to protest is to stand with every citizen whose constitutional rights are being violated,’ he said in a post on X, adding that he was expressing solidarity from afar.
Around 260 people were detained during Tuesday’s protest, according to reports. Police forcibly removed several Congress leaders, including general-secretary (organisation) and Alapuzha MP K.C. Venugopal, Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi, Rajya Sabha MP Pawan Khera, K. Suresh, former Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda, Solapur MP Praniti Shinde, Mumbai North-Central MP Varsha Gaikwad and Rajya Sabha MP Imran Pratapgarhi.
The detainees were taken to the New Police Lines at Kingsway Camp and released at around 10.00 pm, the Congress said.
Delhi Police subsequently registered an FIR after receiving a complaint alleging that Rahul, Priyanka, other MPs and their supporters had entered the Akashvani Bhawan premises without permission.
With PTI inputs
