NEW DELHI: India’s Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday sent a four-page preliminary reply to the Delhi Police’s notice about his “women still being sexually assaulted” remark made during the Bharat Jodo Yatra while questioning the process adopted by the authorities and a sudden urgency after a 45-day delay, reports PTI.
The Congress leader gave the 10-point reply hours after a Delhi Police team knocked on his doors for the third time in five days.
The police team headed by Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Sagar Preet Hooda arrived at Rahul Gandhi’s 12, Tughlaq Lane, residence around 10 a.m. and was able to meet the Congress leader after two hours, officials said, adding the team left around 1:00 pm.
According to the police, Rahul Gandhi stated in Srinagar during the Bharat Jodo Yatra that “I have heard that women are still being sexually assaulted”, and since the Yatra had passed through Delhi also, they wanted to ascertain if any victim had approached the Congress leader in New Delhi so that they can initiate a probe into the matter.
“The police had asked him to give details of these victims so that security could be provided to them,” an official said.
Sending a preliminary reply a little before 4:00 pm, Rahul Gandhi termed the police action “unprecedented” and asked whether this had anything to do with his position taken both inside and outside Parliament on the Adani issue, sources said.
According to them, Rahul Gandhi also asked what was the urgency on the part of the Delhi Police in making two visits in as many days after an initial gap of 45 days after he made his speech in Srinagar.
An angry Congress has condemned the Delhi Police action and attacked the Central Government, calling it the “worst case of harassment and political vendetta”, but the BJP rejected the charge and said the police was “only discharging its lawful duty”.