There is "no democracy in India" and it exists "only in imagination", Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged after meeting President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday and demanded a joint session of Parliament to repeal the three farm laws. If the prime minister does not repeal these laws, the country will suffer, he said.
Gandhi along with Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury met President Kovind and handed over to him a memorandum signed by two crore farmers seeking withdrawal of the three legislations. At the same time many other party leaders had taken out a solidarity march in Delhi.
While Rahul and two other senior Congress leaders were allowed to meet with the President, the Delhi Police detained Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other party leaders for taking out a march to Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi along with party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and others during a meeting at AICC HQ before leaving for Rashtrapati Bhawan to meet President Ram Nath Kovind. | Photo: PTI
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other party leaders leaving for the Rashtrapati Bhavan to meet President Ram Nath Kovind regarding farmers protest against the three farms laws, in New Delhi on Thursday. | ANI
Congress MPs including Shashi Tharoor gathered in solidarity with farmers at party HQ in Delhi. | Photo: Shashi Tharoor/Twitter
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra speaks to the media after being stopped by Delhi Police during a protest in support of farmers protest against the three farms laws, outside AICC headquarters in New Delhi on Thursday. | ANI
Delhi Police take Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and party leaders into custody, in New Delhi on Thursday. | ANI
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi speaks to media outside Rashtrapati Bhavan as he along with Ghulam Nabi Azad and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury call on the President Ram Nath Kovind. | ANI
President Ram Nath Kovind meeting a delegation from the Indian National Congress comprising Ghulam Nabi Azad, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Rahul Gandhi, at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Thursday. | Photo: President of India/Twitter
(With inputs from agencies)