New Delhi: “We cannot end it like this way,” Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s remarks to some Congress MPs transformed an otherwise usual protest march seeking Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kuma…

New Delhi: “We cannot end it like this way,” Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s remarks to some Congress MPs transformed an otherwise usual protest march seeking Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation into a high-voltage drama that lasted nearly eight hours.Taking others by surprise Rahul along with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and some other MPs walked into Akashwani Bhavan – some called it the ‘Rang de Basanti’ moment with a twist – where the march from Parliament to the Election Commission was stopped and sat under a ‘banyan tree’, demanding that they be allowed to go to ‘Nirvachan Sadan’, just 100 metres away.In the Amir Khan-starred movie, the lead actors had seized Akashwani Bhavan and took over the broadcast to make an address to explain their actions before being killed by police. Rahul entered the Akashwani Bhavan and was detained after a stand off.When the march was stopped, Rahul had climbed a barricade with Trinamool Congress’ Abhishek Banerjee and Priyanka among others, leaving an impression to many that it was another usual photo-op during a protest. Almost one hour into the march that started around 10:50 am, MPs had started courting arrest but Rahul was not taken to a bus. MPs like Priyanka, K C Venugopal, Akhilesh Yadav, Banerjee, Derek O’Brien and Manoj K Jha have gotten into police buses soon by then.But Rahul, who appeared to have other plans, first started walking back towards Parliament but suddenly turned to check “where is Priyanka”. As one of the MPs responded that she is in one of the buses, he told him, “ask her to come out. We cannot end it like this way.”Rahul Gandhi accuses PM Modi of centralising power, leave poor citizens to ‘starve to death’As Priyanka, a party MP and Rahul’s sister, was getting down, he immediately started walking towards the gate of Akashwani Bhavan. At the gate, there was a stand-off as staff tried to resist Rahul’s entry at 12:20 pm but the Congress leader pushed his way inside. Priyanka, Charanjit Singh Channi and Deepender Hooda soon joined him inside where some Akashwani staff were busy clicking selfies with Rahul before police cordoned off the area.Their plan was to use a gate to reach the EC but that was closed when he decided to sit beneath the ‘banyan’ tree. Soon MPs like Venugopal joined Rahul while Congress and Left MPs like John Brittas, P Sandosh Kumar, Sasikanth Senthil and Shafi Parambil, who could not get inside, started a protest outside the gate of Akashwani before they were detained. Late evening, Trinamool Congress’ Derek O’Brien and Mahua Moitra visited Rahul and other MPs. A number of Akashwani employees were seen taking selfies with Rahul before police cordoned off the area. While MPs from Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, RJD and others were taken away, some Congress workers managed to reach Akashwani Bhavan where they staged a protest. Youth Congress and NSU(I) workers, who had gathered at the spot, suddenly barged into the Akashwani Bhavan around 1:35 pm but were prevented by police from reaching Rahul.Congress MPs Praniti Shinde and Pawan Khera, Seva Dal chief BV Srinivas B V as also Rahul’s aides Alankar Sawai, Kaushal Vidhyarthi and Srivatsa were inside as well. While there was occasional sloganeering till 7:30 PM, things started getting heated as police attempted to start detaining MPs. Congress MPs tried to make a cordon around Rahul but they were pushed away. When Venugopal tried to question, a senior police official pushed him while others dragged him.Rahul also did not make it easy for the police as he resisted his detention and once in the bus, he also tried to leap out of the window.

Source: Deccan Herald