Delhi Police team visits Rahul Gandhi's residence; Congress cries foul, claims 'vendetta, intimidation'

A team of Delhi Police, led by Special Commissioner of Police Law & Order Dr Sagarpreet Hooda, visited former Congress president and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi's residence on Sunday morning to seek details about the alleged sexual assault remarks that he had made in J&K during his Bharat Jodo Yatra.

After interacting with the MP at his Tughlak Lane residence in New Delhi, the officer told media persons that the team sought details from Rahul Gandhi based on a statement he had given in Srinagar on January 30 that during his Bharat Jodo Yatra, he had met several women and they told him that they had been raped. 

Taking cognisance of social media posts, the police had sent a questionnaire to the Congress leader and asked him to give details about the women who approached him regarding sexual harassment.

Congress protests police action

The Congress on Sunday condemned the Delhi Police action against Rahul Gandhi and called it the worst case of "political vendetta" and "harassment", asserting that the Centre was setting a wrong precedent by registering such cases against political opponents. 

Addressing a joint press conference at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi, party leaders Ashok Gehlot, Jairam Ramesh and Abhishek Singhvi said the move was a clear case of 'vendetta, intimidation and harassment' in order to create an atmosphere against the former Congress chief. 

Gehlot asserted that the central dispensation was setting a bad example by registering cases on statements of opposition leaders made during political campaigns, adding that the BJP leaders could face similar action over remarks made in states not ruled by it.

He said if Union ministers make similar comments in opposition-ruled states during elections, they may face the same action as done by the Delhi Police.  Hitting out at the police action, Singhvi said the statements in question were made by Gandhi in Srinagar on January 30 and thus the same does not fall under the Delhi Police jurisdiction. 

He also wondered why the city police force was showing so much alacrity in making frequent visits to Gandhi's residence after 45 days of the remarks made by the former Congress chief. He added that the move was to divert the attention from the Adani issue, but the Congress and other opposition parties will not backtrack. 

• Bharat Jodo Yatra
• Delhi Police
• Rahul Gandhi
• Special Commissioner of Police Law & Order
• Sunday
• Wayanad MP
• sexual assault remarks