The Congress party's plan to march to Rashtrapati Bhavan was thwarted on Thursday as Delhi Police detained party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other senior leaders while allowing Rahul Gandhi and two others to meet with the President.
The Delhi Police detained several Congress leaders, including Priyanka after they tried to march towards the Rashtrapati Bhawan while opposing the three farm laws armed with the signatures of over two crore people.
Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi along with his sister Priyanka Gandhi arrived at the party headquarters to march towards the Rashtrapati Bhawan. The two leaders were joined by several senior leaders at the party headquarters.
Soon when they started their march towards the Rashtrapati Bhawan, the Delhi Police detained several Congress leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for violating section 144.
Delhi Police took Priyanka Gandhi and other party leaders to Mandir Marg Police Station in New Delhi.
The Delhi Police allowed former party chief Rahul Gandhi, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Ghulam Nabi Azad to meet the President Ram Nath Kovind, who had the appointment.
Speaking to media after the meeting, Rahul said he told the President that these farm laws are anti-farmer. "The country has seen that farmers have stood up against these laws," he said.
"I want to tell the Prime Minister that these farmers are not going to go back home until these farm laws are repealed. Government should convene a joint session of Parliament and take back these laws. Opposition parties stand with farmers and labourers," he said.
Priyanka slammed the government on the farmers' protests. She said the government has been treating the farmers "unfairly" and a solution could be found only if the government is ready to listen to the demands of the farmers.
She also said that any dissent against this government is classified as having elements of terror.
Speaking to the media after being detained by the Delhi Police, Priyanka said, "The farmers are being treated unfairly. We are undertaking this march to voice our support for the farmers. Any dissent against this government is classified as having elements of terror.
"The government has to take the responsibility. It is the responsibility of the government to listen to the farmers and its people," she said, adding that the government cannot run for five or six years if it keeps blaming the opposition everytime.
When asked how the government can find a solution, she said, "The solution can be found only if the government is ready to listen to the demands of the farmers."
Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh have been protesting at the borders of the national capital peacefully for the last 29 days. The farmers have been demanding the repealing of the three farm laws.
