Women cops molested during Congress protest: Govt tells SC

The Government on Friday alleged in the Supreme Court that women police personnel were molested and injured during the Congress protest led by Rahul Gandhi in Delhi.

The submission came two days after Opposition INDIA bloc MPs clashed with the police while attempting to reach Jantar Mantar to protest alleged “vote chori” and demand the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Making this allegation, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said, “Please see visuals from two days ago. Lady police officers have been molested and injured.” He said police personnel were also verbally abused but acted responsibly, adding that the protest was unlawful as no permission had been granted for it.

Mehta made the remarks during a hearing on pleas challenging restrictions imposed in Delhi ahead of a separate protest called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on October 10 against the Chief Election Commissioner.

Following Wednesday’s protest, the BJP alleged that Rahul Gandhi tried to push and inappropriately touch a woman police officer during a confrontation on Ashoka Road. Police were attempting to remove a woman protester from the sit-in when the incident occurred.

BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari shared a video clip on social media and accused Rahul Gandhi of attempting to push the officer. Party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia sought an apology.

The BJP also accused Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of “punching” a cop during their street protest, and claimed that the Congress leaders' actions were not consistent with their slogan of “smash the patriarchy”.

The Congress was also trying to create “Nepal- and Bangladesh-like anarchy” in the country through its protests, as Rahul Gandhi is “desperate” to come to power, BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari alleged.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters on Thursday, party spokesperson Sidharth Yadav had accused Rahul and Priyanka of attacking police personnel during the protests.

Yadav said the visuals being circulated were not of a protest but showed “the anarchy being spread in the national Capital” under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and the Congress.

He alleged that Rahul “inappropriately touched” a woman police constable and claimed that Priyanka “punched a female police officer in the stomach”.

“The conduct of Rahul Gandhi in inappropriately touching a female constable is totally unacceptable,” he said.  “Priyanka punched a female police officer in the stomach even though she was simply standing there and had not provoked anyone. This is beyond tolerance,” he said. The BJP spokesperson also alleged that Congress workers kicked policemen after bringing them to the ground.

Referring to Rahul Gandhi's slogan “smash the patriarchy” and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's “Ladki Hoon, Lad Sakti Hoon” slogans, Yadav questioned whether the alleged conduct of the Congress leaders was consistent with their stated positions.

“When she was hitting that female police officer, was this the slogan that was going through her mind?” he asked, referring to Priyanka. If that's not the case, “then the truth behind their slogans is now before the country,” Yadav said.

“Rahul Gandhi has said that there are 47 FIRs against him. But wearing an FIR relating to an alleged crime against a woman as a medal - only Rahul Gandhi can do this in the country,” he said.

BJP spokesperson Bhandari showed some video footage purportedly of INDIA bloc's protest on Wednesday and said that the way Rahul, his sister Priyanka and Congress workers manhandled the police personnel in Delhi makes the party's “intention” clear.

Showing another such video, he claimed police personnel were requesting Rahul Gandhi to hold a peaceful protest as “there is a crowd of thousands” accompanying him. He also alleged that Rahul pushed a policeman hoping to create “resistance reels”.

“In the third clip, Priyanka Vadra herself is seen attempting to push police personnel,” Bhandari said.

Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several other INDIA bloc leaders were forcibly removed and detained after police stopped their buses from proceeding towards Jantar Mantar.

The protest followed an eight-hour dharna a day earlier, when Opposition MPs sought a meeting with the Election Commissioners.