Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday sent a preliminary reply to Delhi Police’s notice regarding his statement related to “sexual harassment of women” during the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ and questioned the sudden action taken after a delay of 45 days.
Sources said that hours after the police reached Rahul Gandhi’s residence for the third time in the last five days, the former Congress president mentioned 10 points in his four-page reply. Along with this, 8-10 days time has been sought to give a detailed reply to the notice of the Delhi Police regarding the January 30 remarks of the Congress leader.
Delhi Police on Sunday reached Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s residence in connection with the notice issued to him over his remarks on ‘sexual harassment of women’ during his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’. Officials said a police team led by Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Sagar Preet Hooda reached Rahul’s 12, Tughlaq Lane residence around 10 am and could meet Gandhi after about two hours.
Officials said that the police force returned around 1 pm. Taking cognizance of the social media post, the Delhi Police sent a questionnaire to former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and asked him to “give details of women who approached him with complaints of sexual harassment”.
According to the police, Rahul had made the statement during the Srinagar leg of the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, “I have heard that women are still being sexually assaulted.” Officials said the police had asked the Congress leader to give details of these victims so that security could be provided to them.
Sources said Rahul Gandhi, sending a preliminary reply around 4 pm, termed the police action as “unprecedented” and asked whether the action had any link with his stand on the Adani issue inside and outside Parliament. Sources said that Rahul Gandhi in his reply has also questioned the ‘sudden activation’ of the police after a gap of 45 days after his remarks in Srinagar.
Sources said that the former Congress president has also asked whether any other political party, including the ruling party, has been probed or questioned in such cases regarding political campaigns. Sources said Rahul in his reply said, “I hope and believe that it has nothing to do with being at the center of special attention of those in power due to my stand inside and outside Parliament, including the Adani issue, in the last few weeks.” ‘
The reply has been sent to Special Commissioner of Delhi Police, Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) and Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ACP) of Karol Bagh and Barakhamba Road in New Delhi. Rahul replied, ’45 days after my speech, what was the need to visit twice within just two days.’
He referred to the purported conversation that took place during the visit of the police team to his residence on March 16 and asked that when they had agreed that he (Rahul Gandhi) would respond in a week to 10 days, within two days What was the need to reach his abode inside again?
Rahul said that during his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, which covered a distance of 3,500 kms and covered 12 states and two union territories in 140 days, he met lakhs of people, in reply to the police notice It will take time as he cannot answer in a day.
