Heavy police security has been deployed outside the AICC headquarters in the national capital, with Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi set to appear before the ED for the third day today, in connection with the National Herald case.
Delhi Police on Tuesday had detained over 250 Congress functionaries and workers, including 57 MPs, for protesting against the questioning of Sonia. A private motorcycle was also set on fire in central Delhi near Claridges Hotel on Rajesh Pilot Marg. According to an official statement, police had prior information about the protest by Congress workers and supporters on Akbar Road in solidarity with their leader.
Apprehending the risk to law and order, police sent a letter to the Congress headquarters informing them that a large gathering around Akbar Road cannot be permitted as prohibitory orders under section 144 CrPC are in force, Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order division, Zone-II) Sagar Preet Hooda said.
They were also informed that only All India Congress Committee office functionaries and staff would be permitted into the office, police said. To maintain the law and order, there were made adequate police arrangements in the New Delhi district.
On Tuesday, some of the MPs of the Congress party, including Rahul Gandhi, started a march from Parliament to Vijay Chowk with other supporters. When stopped by police, they started protesting near Vijay Chowk, Hooda said.
The protestors were appropriately warned about the prohibitory orders in force in the area and repeatedly requested to disperse from there, but they continued the protest, thereby violating prohibitory orders.
