A high-voltage drama unfolded here on Saturday evening as Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra gave a slip to police to reach the residence of retired IPS officer SR Darapuri, arrested in connection with the recent anti-CAA protests, and alleged that she was manhandled by cops.
The Congress general secretary claimed that the police tried to stop her, she was surrounded, held by the throat by a female cop and pushed by another female cop as she was walking towards Darapuri's residence in Indiranagar's sector 18.
"They have stopped me midway on the road. What is the meaning of this? This is not an issue of SPG but that of Uttar Pradesh Police. People are disturbed due to this traffic disruption," Priyanka Gandhi told ANI.
But later, an Uttar Pradesh police officer said the allegations were false. In a letter addressed to the Additional Superintendent of Police (Protocol), Dr Archana Singh, Circle Officer Modern Control Room, said, "A number of things (such as manhandling and neck grabbing) are being circulated on the social media, which is completely false. I have discharged my duty with full sincerity."
Lucknow SSP Kalanidhi Naithini on Saturday said that area in-charge, Archana Singh has presented a report to Additional Superintendent in which she said that allegations of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra being strangulated and heckled were "untrue". He said Singh has presented a report to Additional Superintendent of Police where she has mentioned that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's car "was not moving in the scheduled route rather a different route". "Singh has also written that whatever rumours were doing rounds on social media of heckling and strangulating Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are untrue," Naithini added.
After which #IStandWithArchanaSingh started trending on Twitter. Twitterati supported the police officer, Archana Singh, who is accused of mishandling Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. One user said, "We ar with out." While other user said, "Archana Singh is a true symbol of woman power & equality."
The woman police official who was fleet in-charge of Priyanka Gandhi's convoy on Saturday said that she was "heckled" when she went to enquire where Priyanka Gandhi was heading as "she suddenly changed her itinerary". She said that the allegations put forth by Priyanka Gandhi that she was strangulated are "untrue".
"I was her fleet in-charge and this is not true. At 4.30 I got information that she will leave the party office for Kaul house. The arrangements were made accordingly and she came out of the party office and convoy proceeded towards the destination. The portion of the front convoy took the turn while she moved straight," said Archana Singh told ANI.
"I wanted to enquire where she wants to go so that security arrangements can be made accordingly. She is under categorized protection and it's not safe for her to move as such. However, party workers refused to tell anything and Priyanka Gandhi stepped out of the car and started walking," she told ANI. "Meanwhile I was heckled and I fell on the ground. She sat on a scooter and neither she nor the scooter driver was wearing the helmet. When she was told that it's not right to ride without a helmet she walked her way to the residence of SR Darapuri," said Archana Singh.
(Inputs from Agencies)
