Satyagraha March: Congress Claims Brutal Police Attack, Chidambaram Has Hairline Fracture

New Delhi: Congress on Monday alleged that a “deadly attack” on senior party leader KC Venugopal, while former Union minister P Chidambaram suffered a hairline fracture after being hit by police during a march to protest Rahul Gandhi being called to Enforcement Directorate (ED) office for questioning in the National Herald case.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said in video posted on Twitter that the “Modi government has crossed all limits of barbarism. Former home minister P Chidambaram was hit by police, his glasses were thrown on the ground. He has a hairline fracture in his left rib. MP Pramod Tiwari was thrown on the road, he has a head injury and rib fracture. Is this a democracy?”

He added, “The entire day has passed, but the attack continues. A deadly attack was launched on Congress general secretary KC Venugopal. MP Shakti Singh Gohil was also attacked. Congress workers were beaten up. Thousands are in jail. Democracy has been trampled and the country will not forgive the Modi government.”

Congress leaders walked in the blistering heat, raising slogans of solidarity with Rahul and defying police restrictions.

Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, Venugopal and leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury were detained when they were on way to join the ‘Satyagraha march’.

Chowdhury alleged manhandling by police personnel on the way to ED office.

“This is to intimate you that today I have been badly manhandled by the Delhi Police on the way to the ED office without even an iota of provocation. During the phase of police atrocities, I got an injury in the upper jaw of my mouth. May I request you to treat my letter as an allegation against those police personnel and do the needful,” he said in a letter to SHO Tughlaq Road.

Rahul, wo went to ED with sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, was questioned for about three hours in the morning. He left the ED office to visit his mother Sonia Gandhi in hospital before returning to face the agency officials. Questioning continued till the evening.