Rahul Gandhi Detained On Way To Hathras

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was detained on Thursday when he and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were marching on the highway between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

Rahul Gandhi alleged that he was pushed to the ground and lathi-charged after their convoy was stopped on its way to Hathras, where they were going to meet the family of the gang rape victim who died on Tuesday. The Gandhis sat on the road with hundreds of supporters after the Uttar Pradesh police refused to let them continue, NDTV reported.

“Just now police pushed me, lathi-charged me and threw me to the ground. I want to ask, can only Modi Ji walk in this country? Can’t a normal person walk? Our vehicle was stopped, so we started walking,” Rahul Gandhi said, targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, media reports said.

The UP administration enforced a ban on large gatherings and put up barricades at the borders citing the coronavirus ahead of the Congress leaders’ visit.

However, UP officers claimed the restrictions had been in place since September 1 and were extended to October 31. A senior official claimed several policemen had shown Covid symptoms. However, the Congress alleged these were tactics to prevent the Gandhis from entering the village, NDTV reported.