Outrageous violation of liberty: Chidambaram on Delhi Police 'forcibly' entering AICC HQ

Senior Congress leader and former home minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday said the police action at the AICC headquarters was an ”outrageous violation of liberty” and every legal and political norm in a democracy was ”violated”.

The Congress alleged that some Delhi Police personnel forcibly entered its headquarters and beat up party workers and leaders on Wednesday, a day the party staged protests against the questioning of Rahul Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate.

The party demanded that an FIR for ”criminal trespass” be registered, the erring police personnel be suspended and disciplinary action initiated against them.

Reacting to the developments at the AICC headquarters here, Chidambaram said on Twitter, ”What the police did at the AICC office this morning was an outrageous violation of liberty.” The police had no search warrant or arrest warrant, yet they entered the office, pulled out Congress leaders and members, including MPs, and threw them on the road, he alleged.

”The roughing up of Mr Adhir Ranjan Choudhary and others has been captured on video,” Chidambaram said.

”Every legal norm and political norm in a democracy was violated. We condemn the action of the police in the strongest terms,” he said.

Earlier, Congress’ chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, ”In an act of absolute goondaism perpetuated by the Delhi Police at the instance of the Modi government, the police today forcibly entered the national headquarters of the Congress here and beat up party workers and leaders. This is patently criminal trespass. The goondaism of Delhi Police and Modi government has reached its zenith.” The Delhi Police, however, rejected as ”totally false” the allegations that its personnel forcibly entered the Congress headquarters and beat up party workers and leaders.