New Delhi: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has accused Delhi Police of kidnapping five party MPs and four former MPs.
TMC leaders were detained on Monday for staging a 24-hour protest outside the Election Commission of India (ECI) office.
Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale claimed that members of the detained delegation were told they would be taken to Mandir Marg police station in Delhi, but their bus was leading them to an unknown location.
“Delhi Police has kidnapped us 5 TMC MPs & 4 former MPs. We were protesting at EC & were told we’ll be taken to Mandir Marg Police Station. And then, suddenly, the bus has been diverted & going to an unknown location,” Gokhale said in a post on X.
A 10-member delegation — Derek O’Brien, Mohammed Nadimul Haque, Dola Sen, Saket Gokhale and Sagarika Ghose, MLA Vivek Gupta, former MPs Arpita Ghosh, Santanu Sen and Abir Ranjan Biswas, and students wing’s West Bengal vice president Sudip Raha – were staging a dharna after meeting ECI members.
Gokhale further claimed that the TMC leaders were “assaulted and detained” before being put into a bus.
TMC alleged several party leaders were pushed around and MP Dola Sen sustained injuries in her leg, PTI reported.
After being driven around for nearly two hours, the delegation claimed to be taken to Mandir Marg police station in the evening.
“We were pushed and dragged into a bus around 5.15 pm and then driven all around Delhi before being dropped at Mandir Marg PS at 7 pm,” Santanu Sen said.
Our MPs are stranded in the middle of nowhere. They’re being UNLAWFULLY restrained to a confined space – pushed, shoved and manhandled inside the police van. The Delhi Police is refusing to share any details on where they are being taken.
Let it be known to all that this… pic.twitter.com/0JlKRR613W
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) April 8, 2024
“We plan to be continue our protest as planned,” he added.
TMC party has repeatedly accused BJP of using Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Income Tax (I-T) Department to unfairly target Opposition parties.
“We are here to fight. We will carry on our peaceful protest… This is 100% dictatorship but we are from TMC, we will fight this,” O’Brien told reporters.
“Our 24-hour dharna will continue. My colleague @MdNadimulHaque6 is a diabetic patient. @Dolasen7 had hurt her leg and now the injury has gotten worse. But we’re here to fight.”
Briefing the press while under preventive detention, our Rajya Sabha MP @derekobrienmp sent a clear… pic.twitter.com/NfA8XEIdYf
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) April 8, 2024
According to Delhi Police, TMC leaders were detained as section 144 of Code of Criminal Procedure, prohibiting large gatherings, was in effect in the area, and permission had not been obtained for the protest.
