Priyanka with Congress leaders taken into custody on way to Rashtrapati Bhawan
New Delhi: Congress general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other party leaders were taken into preventive custody by the Delhi Police after they tried to march to the Rashtrapati Bhawan to meet President Ram Nath Kovind.
The detained leaders were part of a delegation, led by former party President Rahul Gandhi comprising Congress Working Committee (CWC) members and Members of Parliament, that was going to meet the President with 20 million signatures collected in the past three months against the three new farm bills enacted this year.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday slammed the government on the farmers’ protests. She said the government has been treating the farmers “unfairly” and a solution could be found only if the government is ready to listen to the demands of the farmers.
She also said that any dissent against this government is classified as having elements of terror.
The Delhi Police detained several Congress leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra after they tried to march towards the Rashtrapati Bhawan while opposing the three farm laws armed with the signatures of over two crore people.
The Delhi Police, meanwhile, allowed former party chief Rahul Gandhi, Adhir Ranjan and Ghulam Nabi Azad to meet the Prez Ram Nath Kovind, who had the appointment.
Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi along with his sister Priyanka Gandhi arrived at the party headquarters to march towards the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
The two leaders were joined by several senior leaders at the party headquarters.
Soon when they started their march towards the Rashtrapati Bhawan, the Delhi Police detained several Congress leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for violating section 144.
Speaking to the media after being detained by the Delhi Police, Priyanka Gandhi said, “The farmers are being treated unfairly. We are undertaking this march to voice our support for the farmers. Any dissent against this government is classified as having elements of terror.
“The government has to take the responsibility. It is the responsibility of the government to listen to the farmers and its people,” she said, adding that the government cannot run for five or six years if it keeps blaming the opposition everytime.
When asked how the government can find a solution, she said, “The solution can be found only if the government is ready to listen to the demands of the farmers.”
Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh have been protesting at the borders of the national capital peacefully for the last 29 days. The farmers have been demanding the repealing of the three farm laws